Moreover, the complainant of the case was absent from the court and there were irregularities of court process surveyors in serving summons upon the defendants.

On November 9, former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas filed the case against the editor, publisher and two reporters of the weekly magazine for running a 'defamatory' story and publishing footage on August 25.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mizanur Rahman passed the order after acting Editor Golam Mortuza, special correspondent Shuvo Kibria and chief photographer Tuhin Hossain along with their lawyers appeared before it seeking bail.

The lawyers made oral submissions saying that Mahfuz Anam, publisher of the weekly magazine, could not appear before the court due to political unrest.

The lawyers of complainant Abbas submitted a petition saying that their client could not appear before the court due to political programmes.

After hearing both the sides, the court granted bail to the three upon a bond of Tk 2,000 each with two guarantors and issued a warrant of arrest against the publisher.

The same court also issued warrant of arrest against editors, publishers and reporters of the Inqilab, the Janakantha and weekly magazine Shirsha Kagoj for the same reasons.

Meantime, an investigation into the service of the summons upon the defendants found that the process surveyors did not go to the addresses of the defendants.

The surveyors prepared the service of summons upon the defendants at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court, even though they are bound to go to the addresses of the defendants, sources of an official, posted at the Nezarat branch of the CMM Court, said on condition of anonymity.

When reached, CMM Jalal Ahmed told the court reporters that due to shortage of process surveyors, there are irregularities in serving summons and arrest warrants upon the defendants.

Process surveyors Mohammad Wazi Ullah and Mohammad Kader prepared the service of summons at the office, without going to the addresses of the defendants, sources said.

Following the hearing, Metropolitan Magistrate Syed Mohammad Mojibul Haq on November 9 recorded statements of the complainant, took the complaints into cognisance and served summons on all the defendants to appear before the court yesterday.

The editors, publishers and reporters are from the Jugantor, Inqilab, Janakantha, Bhorer Kagoj, Weekly-2000 and Shirsha Kagoj.

The complainant filed five cases against the Jugantor and five against the rest.

In his complaints, Abbas mentioned that the dailies and the weeklies had run a series of defamatory news items at different dates that had damaged his reputation, name and fame in the society as well as in the political field.