Legal notice sent to Bashundhara Chairman, MD over 'cheque fraud' allegations

Thirteen former employees of Kaler Kantho have issued a legal notice to the newspaper's top management, including the Chairman and Managing Director of its parent company, East West Media Group, over allegations of cheque fraud and non-payment of dues.

The notice, sent on Sunday, was addressed to six individuals including East West Media Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir, and the publisher of Kaler Kantho. The former employees allege that despite multiple attempts, they have not received the financial benefits owed to them following their termination or resignation.

The complainants — Md. Shah Alam, Md. Zahedul Alam, Kakoli Prodhan, Dewan Atikur Rahman, Farzana Rashid, Abu Saleh Md. Shafik, K M Latiful Haque, Asadur Rahman, Md. Roknuzzaman, Shamsun Nahar, Md. Latiful Bashar (Limon Bashar), Mahabur Rahman Mir, and Hanzala Han — claim that around 50 journalists were dismissed from Kaler Kantho in October 2023 without prior notice. Others resigned at different times, yet more than fifty staff members have allegedly not received their service benefits, including gratuities.

According to the notice, Bashundhara Group later issued partial payments through post-dated cheques in 2024, asking recipients to deposit them monthly. However, cheques deposited from January to August were dishonored by banks. Efforts to resolve the matter through direct meetings with Kaler Kantho’s editor, publisher, and other top officials reportedly yielded no results.

The journalists further stated that appeals to the Chief Adviser’s Office and the Bangladesh Press Council were unsuccessful. Some former employees began preparing to file lawsuits in lower courts, prompting Bashundhara authorities to settle dues with around 20 individuals. The rest were assured of payment, but the validity of their cheques expired in the meantime. Kaler Kantho reportedly collected some of these expired cheques, promising to reissue them — a promise that remains unfulfilled.

One of the notice issuers, Hanzala Han, confirmed that several journalists have already filed legal cases. Arrest warrants have been issued in at least two of them, including one against Sayem Sobhan Anvir in the case Kazi Md. Motahar Hossain vs. Sayem Sobhan Anvir, with a court date set for February 12, 2025. However, there has been no reported progress on executing the warrant.

The legal notice warns that if no action is taken within seven days, the complainants will file a writ petition with the High Court to recover their dues.

When contacted, an official from East West Media Group informed that they have not yet received any such legal notice. "We will respond once we receive it," the official added.