The High Court has ordered the government to provide first-class privileges to Mainul Hosein, a former adviser to the military-backed caretaker government, detained in a case over defaming a journalist.
Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order in response to a writ petition filed by Mainul's wife Saju Hosein on Monday seeking for first class division facilities for Mainul.
Dr Kamal Hossain and Khandaker Mahbub Hossain represented Mainul and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Mokhlesur Rahman stood for the state.
“The High Court has directed to provide Barrister Mainul Hosein with first-class prison facilities [first class division]. It asked for the order to be sent to prison authorities through a special messenger,” Khandaker Mahbub Hossain told reporters.
On October 22, police arrested Mainul for ‘defaming’ journalist Masuda Bhatti.
Mainul, the publisher and editorial board chief of The Daily New Nation, has been facing intense criticism since October 16 when he called journalist Bhatti ‘a woman of loose morals’ in Ekattor Journal, a talk show aired live on Ekattor TV.
Mainul, a son of The Daily Ittefaq founder-editor Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah, was in charge of law, justice and parliamentary affairs, among others, during his tenure in the caretaker government.