Shajahan Khan Summoned over Defamation Case

A court in Dhaka has ordered the chief of transport staff and former minister of shipping Shajahan Khan to appear before him on a defamation case brought against him.

Judge Utpal Bhattyacharya of the Court of District and Sessions signed the order on Thursday (Feb 13), after hearing the case.

Nirapad Sarak Chai (Nischa) founder Ilias Kanchan filed a Tk 1 billion defamation case on Wednesday (Feb 12).

According to the case statement, the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation (BRTWF) Executive President Shajahan Khan made insulting and derogatory remarks on Ilias Kanchan at a program in Rupganj on Dec 8, last year.

The parliament member of Jatiya Sangsad from Madaripur 1 constituency claimed that Ilias Kanchan has embezzled millions for his road safety awareness movement Nirapad Sharak Chai (Nischa).

The former minister asserted that Kanchan ran the safe road movement of his own money for the first 12 years but later received donations from foreigners and the organization's members.

Shajahan had said that he would publicly disclose from where and for what reason Ilias Kanchan earned large sums of money, and how much he, his son and his daughter-in-law, collected from the fund for themselves.

On Dec 11, Ilias refuted the statement as a lie and gave Shajahan a 24-hour ultimatum to either provide evidence of his sweeping statement or apologize to the National Press Club of Dhaka and urged the Shajahan Khan to stop propaganda against him and his family.

But Shajahan did not withdraw his statement or apologize, prompting the actor to file the lawsuit.