Dhaka: The journalists and officials of the Bengali daily Amar Desh panicked lest the newspaper should be closed down anytime, as its publisher Tuesday passed through an ordeal over ownership-transfer tangle.

Hashmat Ali, the publisher of the newspaper that is leant toward opposition BNP, was picked up by intelligence personnel from his city residence at around 10 am and held at some undisclosed place for six hours, Desh management sources said.

A source from the daily told banglanews24.com.bd that Hashmat was made to sign on a white paper before release--and it created panic among the staff members.

The Daily Amar Desh authorities, however, called a press conference at the national press club later in the day to disclose in detail what it was all about.

An account of the newspaper says, “Former energy adviser Mahmudur Rahman bought the ownership of the paper 6 months ago. An official letter as per rule was sent to the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka seeking approval to the ownership transfer. But the administration replied nothing on the issue to the newspaper.”

A senior journalist of the daily said, on condition of anonymity, the fresh incident of holding Hashmat Ali by the intelligence added fuel to the fear about closing down the Amar Desh.

BDST: 1746 HRS. June 1, 2010
HA/SRJ/SMS/MUA