Islamic speaker Abbasi served legal notice over ‘journalists should be beaten like dogs’ remark

Islamic preacher Dr Syed Muhammad Enayetullah Abbasi has been served with a legal notice over his remarks that journalists should be “beaten like dogs” during a religious gathering in Chandpur.

Supreme Court lawyer Khadimul Islam sent the notice on Sunday (October 25) on behalf of Azharul Islam Sujon, an executive committee member of the Court Reporters Unity, an organisation of journalists covering lower courts.

The notice asks Abbasi to withdraw his remarks and offer an unconditional apology within seven days of receiving it. Otherwise, legal action will be taken under applicable laws over allegations of defamation, threats of assault and incitement, it said.

According to the notice, Abbasi made the remarks on October 19 at an annual religious sermon and prayer gathering at Nishchintapur Hafizia Madrasa in Matlab upazila of Chandpur.

During his speech, he said, “The worst people in Bangladesh are journalists. They should be beaten like dogs.”

Abbasi also criticised journalists for their coverage of a young state minister's alleged attempt to dismantle a drug syndicate.

“A young man serving as a state minister tried to break the chain of a drug syndicate with his associates. Journalists did not publish the positive news. Instead, they reported that he ran around with a pistol,” he said.

“These journalists are dangerous. They practise yellow journalism. They are funded by foreign intelligence agencies. They do not want Bangladesh to prosper,” he added.

The legal notice said the remarks amounted to threats of violence against journalists, either directly or through Abbasi's followers, creating an atmosphere of fear for members of the profession.

It further stated that the comments were derogatory and defamatory towards journalists and posed a threat to their safety.