Bangladesh Detains FIFA official for ‘defaming’ PM Hasina

[Black_cats]

Published Mar 16, 2019 09:41pm
Bangladesh detains FIFA official for 'defaming' PM
AFP

Bangladesh authorities jailed a senior member of football's world governing body on Saturday, hours after she was arrested for allegedly defaming the country's leader.

Mahfuza Akhter, a FIFA council member since 2017 and national chief of women's football, had told a TV talk show last month that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had neglected football in the cricket-mad country.

A Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against Mahfuza on Tuesday after a formal libel complaint from local sports administrator Abul Hasan Chowdhury.


Mahfuza was arrested Saturday morning in the capital, Dhaka police officer Omar Faruk said.

A magistrate in the city's metropolitan court denied her bail application in a hearing later that day, according to Mahfuza's lawyer Liakat Hossain said. “We sought bail for her after she was taken to the court. But our prayer was rejected,” he added.

Rights groups have accused the Bangladeshi government of using harsh laws to stifle dissent.

Scores of people have been arrested under strict internet laws and cases have been filed against at least 200 people for making derogatory comments about Hasina online, according to a cyber crime prosecutor.

Mahfuza's arrest came months after Bangladesh arrested and charged award-winning photographer Shahidul Alam with making “false” and “provocative” statements in a televised interview in August.

He was jailed for 107 days — the photographer said he was badly beaten while in custody — and denied bail four times before being freed in November.

www.dawn.com/news/amp/1470020

 

[Saiful Islam]

Brill. Democracy at work here.

 

[Smoke]

*Slow clap*

 

[Imran Khan]

nice to know i insult her daily no jail for me ?

 

[Reichsmarschall]

haseena is a salty biaaatch

 

[I S I]

What can you expect from a nation founded by Bongabhangi terrorist. Following her father's footsteps.

 

[Pakistansdefender]

Seriously.
Just at this simple statement, which is not even against Hassina. Shame on Bangladesh.

 

[PakSword]

Just saying that Hasina Jameela has neglected football and she is jailed? Wow.. And the courts are really independent it seems..

===================================

Yahan har doosra aadmi teesray aadmi ko zaleel kar raha hota hai..

 

[Chakar The Great]

Same bengalis who dont get tired comparing how Bangladesh is much ahead of Pakistan economically.

 

[Mentee]

Bangladesh is turning into a fascist state complimenting her neighbour India in the literal sense of the word - - - - - - -

Bwitxh! Now arrest me

 

[Black_cats]

Bangladesh Fifa official held for 'defaming' PM Hasina

• 17 March 2019
  
• Asia

www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-asia-47604146

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Image copyrightFIFA VIA GETTY IMAGES

Image captionMahfuza Akhter Kiron has been a Fifa Council member since 2017
Bangladeshi authorities have arrested a senior member of football's world governing body Fifa for allegedly defaming the country's prime minister.

Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, a Fifa Council member, was detained after she had said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was neglecting football.

A defamation claim was then filed by a local sport official, alleging that the comments embarrassed the entire nation.

On Saturday, Ms Kiron was denied bail and sent to jail, her lawyer said.

"We sought bail for her after she was taken to the court. But our prayer was rejected," her lawyer Liakat Hossain said.

The government of Sheikh Hasina has been accused by human rights groups of using tough media laws to stifle dissent in the country.

Last August, renowned Bangladeshi photographer and activist Shahidul Alam was jailed for "spreading false information" during mass demonstrations.

• Shahidul Alam: Jailed journalist's powerful photos of Bangladesh

What did Mahfuz Akhter Kiron say?
During a recent TV talk show, Ms Kiron said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was neglecting football in the cricket-mad Bangladesh.

This prompted local sport official Abul Hasan Chowdhury Prince to file a defamation claim.

"Mahfuza told the TV show that [the] PM maintains double standard for football and cricket. She rewards cricket for personal gain but ignores football," Mr Hasan's lawyer was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

The defamation claim alleges that such comments about the sports-loving prime minister embarrasses the entire nation.

Image copyrightREUTERS

Image captionSheikh Hasina is the longest serving prime minister in Bangladeshi history
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina - who last December secured her third consecutive term in office - has so far made no public comment on the issue.

• Sheikh Hasina wins landslide in disputed vote

In 2017, Ms Kiron was elected Fifa's female representative for Asian football.

She was soon facing strong criticism for struggling to name the current women's world champions - the US team.

Asked by BBC World Service who won the 2015 Women's World Cup, she replied "Korea? Japan?" - only giving the correct answer at the third attempt.

 

[Bilal9]

This Bangladesh Fifa 'official' does not matter to FIFA in the larger sense.

She is just a showcase example of 'one of the quota coloreds'....

 

[Nilgiri]

nice to know i insult her daily no jail for me ?

Just don't set foot in Bangladesh