Legal notice asks Enayetullah Abbasi to apologise for remarks threatening to beat journalists

A journalist has sent a legal notice to Islamic speaker Syed Muhammad Enayetullah Abbasi over remarks threatening to beat journalists.

On Sunday, Supreme Court lawyer Khademul Islam sent the notice on behalf of Azharul Islam Sujon, an executive committee member of the Court Reporters Unity, the organisation of journalists working at the Dhaka courts. The lawyer himself confirmed the information.

The notice says Enayetullah Abbasi must, within seven days of receiving it, withdraw his remarks and offer an unconditional apology.

Otherwise, the notice states, action will be taken under existing law on allegations of defaming journalists and the journalism profession through derogatory remarks, threatening attacks and incitement.

According to the notice, Abbasi spoke on 19 October at the annual waz and doa mahfil of Nishchintapur Hafizia Madrasa in Matlab upazila of Chandpur district. At one point he said: "The worst are Bangladesh's journalists. They should be beaten like dogs."

In the same speech he said a young man serving as a state minister had tried, with his force, to break the chain of a drug syndicate, but journalists did not publicise the positive news and instead publicised him running with a pistol. He called the journalists "terrible", accused them of yellow journalism and of running on money from foreign intelligence agencies, and said they do not want Bangladesh to do well.

The notice says that through these remarks Abbasi threatened, himself and through his followers, to beat journalists, which has created a fearful environment for journalism.

The notice describes his remarks as extremely contemptuous and defamatory towards the journalism profession and professional journalists, and as a threat to their safety.

The notice sender, journalist Azharul Islam Sujon, said: "As an Islamic speaker, he made distasteful remarks about newspapers and journalists, one of society's most important pillars, which is a very despicable incident."

Sujon added that they have formally served the notice asking him to reject the remarks through a video message and apologise, and that if he does not apologise within seven days they will be compelled to take the next legal steps.