DHAKA, Dec 9, 2023 (BSS) - Bangladesh senior cricketer Mushfiqur Rahim has served a legal notice to Ekattor media, a private TV channel, for airing a spot-fixing report against him during the second and final Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Mushfiqur was given out for ‘obstructing the field’ during Bangladesh’s first innings in the Test as he pushed the ball away after defending a delivery which violated cricketing laws. By doing so, he became the first Bangladeshi batter to be dismissed for ‘handling the ball.’

On December 6, Ekattor TV aired a report suggesting that Mushfiqur's dismissal was potentially linked to spot-fixing. But the channel later removed the news from their digital platform and also sought an apology to the batter in their digital platform.

Supreme Court lawyer Shihab Uddin Khan, who is representing Mushfiqur, issued the legal notice to Ekattor TV on behalf of the player.

The notice presented four demands that will have to be fulfilled in 48 hours.

The demands are immediate elimination of the report from social media and digital platforms, telecast of an apology, issuance of a press release containing the apology, and demanding written confirmation to be sent to Mushfiqur that the TV station has warned the reporter against such actions in the future.

“The allegation and innuendo contained in the report as false and baseless and represented a shameful instance of yellow journalism and the publication of fake news,” the legal notice stated.

“The report does not show any regard or respect to the bare minimum standards of journalistic ethics without any consideration of the ramifications it has on the reputation of our client as well as his livelihood as a professional cricketer to not only his prejudice but also to the detriment of his dependent family members.”

The legal notice added the news report has left Mushfiqur Rahim mentally shattered, who can hardly believe that a news channel, as reputed and esteemed like Ekattor TV can resort to such a vile instance of yellow journalism without considering its far-reaching purport.

“It is claimed that the report and its publication in the manner aforesaid, where it has been seen, accessed, and downloaded by countless millions throughout Bangladesh and the rest of the world, has lowered our client in the eyes and estimation of right-thinking people, and therefore constitutes criminal defamation punishable under Section 500 of the Penal Code, 1860 and cyber-bullying contrary to Sections 25(1)(Ka), 25(2) and 29 of the Cyber Security Act, 2023, besides entitling our client to proceed against you for exemplary damages as compensation by instituting civil legal action," the legal notice further stated.