Journalist Farazi Ajmal Hossain on Thursday sued Mainul Hosein, executive director-1 of the Ittefaq group of publications, and Saju Hosein, publisher and printer (temporary) of the daily Ittefaq, for defamation.

After hearing the case, metropolitan magistrate Konika Biswas set May 10 for passing the order.

According to Ajmal, the accused defamed him by publishing a notice in Ittefaq’s May 1 issue, warning readers that he was relieved on April 23 from his duties and no one should have any dealings with him.

‘I am still a senior reporter of the Ittefaq as its executive director-2, Anwar Hossain Manju, has reinstated me in my job,’ Ajmal told the court. ‘The accused have tainted my image at home and abroad by implying that I have done something wrong.’

Ajmal told the court that he has been working for the Ittefaq for 36 years but the accused, citing no acceptable reason, on April 23, 2009 terminated his job, saying that he was Manju’s man. ‘Mainul harassed me for two years while he was law adviser,’ he said.

A legal notice was also served to Mainul Hosein and Saju, his wife, for withdrawal of the termination letter and for publishing Ajmal’s rejoinder to the notice in the newspaper.