Moeen moves court to dismiss Tuku's suit
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
A Dhaka court received an appeal Tuesday from former army chief Moeen U Ahmed to dismiss the prayer for a defamation case against him, reports bdnews24.com.
Tuku's lawyer Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan filed the appeal at the Third Joint District Judge's Court, Dhaka on the day.
The judge, SM Saiful Islam, fixed September 13 for hearing the appeal and the case.
BNP's former state minister for power Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku filed the defamation suit against Moeen on July 12, claiming Tk 1 billion (100 crore) in damages, for allegedly defamatory statements made against him by the army chief in the presence of media.
"The allegations brought against the former army chief are political controversy. The court does not have the jurisdiction to try it," Bhuiyan told the court Tuesday.
The court on August 16 set Moeen a September 13 deadline for submission of a written rejoinder in the defamation case.
Moeen's lawyer Bhuiyan requested the court for three months' time to submit the written statement and rejoinder required in the case.
Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokan filed the Tk 1 billion case on behalf of the former state minister for power alleging that the statement had damaged Tuku's reputation.
The appeal said that Ahmed expressed his feeling as a citizen of Bangladesh at the reception ceremony of freedom fighters on March 27, 2007. That day he regretted the failure to recognise the architect of the nation and in doing so drew the rage of the anti-liberation forces. Tuku has filed the case as a part of expressing that rage.
Maintaining his claims, Tuku said, "On June 20, the present state minister for power said in the question-answer session that during the rule of four-party alliance government the budget was Tk 135 billion (13,500 crore). It proves that Moeen U Ahmed gave that speech to smear my reputation."
Moeen went into retirement on June 15. He was appointed the army chief in 2005 during the rule of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government. The caretaker government extended his tenure by one year.
Tuku's lawyer Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan filed the appeal at the Third Joint District Judge's Court, Dhaka on the day.
The judge, SM Saiful Islam, fixed September 13 for hearing the appeal and the case.
BNP's former state minister for power Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku filed the defamation suit against Moeen on July 12, claiming Tk 1 billion (100 crore) in damages, for allegedly defamatory statements made against him by the army chief in the presence of media.
"The allegations brought against the former army chief are political controversy. The court does not have the jurisdiction to try it," Bhuiyan told the court Tuesday.
The court on August 16 set Moeen a September 13 deadline for submission of a written rejoinder in the defamation case.
Moeen's lawyer Bhuiyan requested the court for three months' time to submit the written statement and rejoinder required in the case.
Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokan filed the Tk 1 billion case on behalf of the former state minister for power alleging that the statement had damaged Tuku's reputation.
The appeal said that Ahmed expressed his feeling as a citizen of Bangladesh at the reception ceremony of freedom fighters on March 27, 2007. That day he regretted the failure to recognise the architect of the nation and in doing so drew the rage of the anti-liberation forces. Tuku has filed the case as a part of expressing that rage.
Maintaining his claims, Tuku said, "On June 20, the present state minister for power said in the question-answer session that during the rule of four-party alliance government the budget was Tk 135 billion (13,500 crore). It proves that Moeen U Ahmed gave that speech to smear my reputation."
Moeen went into retirement on June 15. He was appointed the army chief in 2005 during the rule of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government. The caretaker government extended his tenure by one year.