Rahim sends legal notice to media channel for spot-fixing report

Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim has served legal notice to a private TV station, on Saturday for maligning his reputation by airing a spot-fixing report against him during the ongoing Bangladesh-New Zealand Test series.

In the first innings of the Dhaka Test against New Zealand, Mushfiqur was dismissed for obstructing the field. Pushing the ball away after defending a delivery, he violated cricketing laws, as batters are not allowed to handle the ball while or after playing a delivery. This dismissal marked the first of its kind in Tests for Bangladesh.

The TV channel on December 6 aired a report suggesting that Mushfiqur’s dismissal was potentially linked to spot-fixing. Later the channel removed the news from their digital platform and also sought an apology to the batter in their digital platform.

Supreme Court lawyer Shihab Uddin Khan, representing Mushfiqur, issued the legal notice to the TV channel contending that the allegation and innuendo contained in the report as false and baseless and represented a shameful instance of yellow journalism and the publication of fake news.

The Legal Notice asks to make amends to the report mentioned above by:

a) Immediately taking steps to remove the offending report from YouTube and all other social media sites where it may have been published;

b) Broadcasting on the TV channel  an unconditional apology for having broadcast the offending report, stating that it was false and unverified;

c) Issuing a public press release seeking unconditional apology for having broadcast the offending report, stating that it was false and unverified; and

d) Assure our client in writing that the reporter Saiful Rupak has been cautioned to be more careful in future.

It is contended that the said report does not show any regard or respect to the bare minimum standards of journalistic ethics without any consideration of the ramifications it has on the reputation of our client as well as his livelihood as a professional cricketer to not only his prejudice but also to the detriment of his dependent family members.

The Legal Notice was served upon the Head of News, the Sports Editor and Saiful Rupak, the concern reporter of the Television channel..

Supreme Court Lawyer Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan sent the legal notice through email on behalf of Mushfiqur Rahim.

“The news report has left Mr. Mushfiqur Rahim mentally shattered, who can hardly believe that a news channel, as reputed and esteemed like ……… TV can resort to such a vile instance of yellow journalism without considering its far-reaching purport. It is claimed that the report and its publication in the manner aforesaid, where it has been seen, accessed, and downloaded by countless millions throughout Bangladesh and the rest of the world, has lowered our client in the eyes and estimation of right-thinking people, and therefore constitutes criminal defamation punishable under Section 500 of the Penal Code, 1860 and cyber-bullying contrary to Sections 25(1)(Ka), 25(2) and 29 of the Cyber Security Act, 2023, besides entitling our client to proceed against you for exemplary damages as compensation by instituting civil legal action,” it was stated in the legal notice.