Abbas along with his counsel appeared before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka at about 12:30pm and filed the case.

After hearing, Metropolitan Magistrate Syed Mohammad Mujibul Haq recorded his (Abbas) statements, took the case into cognisance and issued summons against the daily's Editor Motiur Rahman and Publisher Mahfuz Anam to appear before the court on February 16.

In his plaint, Abbas said the news item headlined ''Public works minister has objection to a police complex being built at Razarbagh'' and run by the national daily is false, baseless and concocted.

The news has tarnished the minister's image and status in the society. Moreover, it created a bad impression of him among the people of the country as well as of his constituency. The news also led to a misunderstanding between him and the police department, Abbas added.

Besides, the daily did not publish properly the rejoinder sent by the complainant. The defendants appear to have connived to publish the report with an intention of bringing him into disrepute, Abbas said.