The five separate lawsuits charged with defamation 14 people of different national dailies including publishers of the Prothom Alo, Mahfuz Anam, Jugantor, Salma Islam and Executive Editor of Janakantha Borhan Ahmed for running 'defamatory' news against him.

In his complaints, Delwar said the Prothom Alo published a news headlined ''Chief whip took rice and pulses for his two residences from parliament'' on March 13. The daily also published two reports on March 14 and 16 saying that only chief whip spent half of Tk 27 lakh entertainment allowances allotted for the last fiscal year, he added. The news was false and fabricated and it was published to tarnish his image in the society, the complainant said.

The Janakantha published a news on March 14 headlined ''Now, after his two sons, there are allegations against chief whip for taking money and goods.'' The chief whip claimed the report was run only to sully his reputation in the society.

The Daily Ajker Kagoj published a news on March 15 under the headline ''In discussion between father and sons.'' That story tarnished his image in his political circle, he alleged. The Daily Jugantor ran another news on March 14 with the headline ''Chief whip's direction to send rice and pulses to his residence creates a stir.'' That was also false, Delwar said.

The chief whip also trashed a Daily Sangbad news item on March 18 under the headline ''Hot spices for the rotten parliament''.

Advocates Sanaullah Miah, Masud Ahmed Talukder and Gazi Towhidul Islam moved the cases on behalf of the complainant.

After the hearing, Metropolitan Magistrate Mizanur Rahman issued a bailable arrest warrant against editor and sub-editor of the Sangbad and issued summons on editors of the Prothom Alo, Jugantor and Jankantha.

In another case, Metropolitan Magistrate Syed Mohammad Mujibul Haque issued summons on the editor and reporter concerned of the Ajker Kagoj. The defendants in the cases are Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, its Publisher Mahfuz Anam, Prothom Alo's Staff Reporter Ashish Saikot and Columnist Hafiz Uddin Khan, Janakantha Editor, Printer and Publisher Mohammad Atiq Ullah Khan Masud, its Executive Editor Borhan Ahmed and an unidentified reporter.

The defendants in three other cases are Ajker Kagoj Editor Kazi Shahed Ahmed and an unidentified Ajker Kagoj reporter, Jugantor Editor Abed Khan, its Publisher Salma Islam and an unidentified Jugantor reporter, Sangbad Editor Bazlur Rahman and its Sub-editor AZM Abdul Ali.