Mauritian entrepreneur files $10m defamation suit against TV station

The Managing Director of Firemount Textiles Ltd in Mauritius, Anil Kohli, is reportedly suing Dhaka Bangla Media and Communication Limited, the owning company of DBC News, and a Bangladeshi woman named Mariam Akter alias Asma Akter, for defamation.

The suit seeking US$10million (Tk 850 million or Rs427million) as compensation has been filed with a Dhaka court,on behalf of the Mauritian entrepreneur, according to country’s Financial Express newspaper.

The lawsuit has reportedly been filed by local law firm Mahbub & Company.

It is challenging a DBC report titled ‘What’s happening in Mauritius with Bangladeshi women workers!’ on an alleged rape case broadcasted in June. That report, the lawsuit said, defamed Anil Kohli.

However, the matter could not be independently verified.

The report added that a legal notice was served upon DBC News earlier in June asking it to remove the report from all its online platforms. But, the plaintiff alleged, the DBC News did not respond to it.

The Mauritian entrepreneur is said to be a major employer for Bangladeshi workers and has hired more than 10,000 workers over the past 10 years.