On Sunday, August 6, addressing a forum of economic reporters at the national press club, Mahmudur branded the CPD as "a conspirator" and "a shameless liar" and accused the think-tank of smearing the country. He also framed contemptible accusation that the CPD fires its research associates if they refuse to engage in political activities.

In a press conference on August 8, Executive Director Debapriya Bhattacharya dismissed Mahmudur's pig-headed accusations that CPD was engaged in a conspiracy to defame the country. Debapriya supplicated that the outrageous accusations were premised on a misreading on the part of Mahmudur about the role CPD plays with respect to the World Economic Forum and UNCTAD.

Newspaper reports and replay of TV footage indicate that Debapriya only referred some "selective statistics" presented by Mahmudur as "bad commodity." The words "bad commodity" was meant to suggest "bad statistics," implying such misleading statistics do not help the country as foreign investors have access to all relevant data.

Debapriya's reference of "bad statistics" may have spared the country from embarrassments to foreign investors. The investor would think that Bangladesh government is not only the most corrupt but also the most deceitful. Instead of appreciating his professional gestures, Mahmudur resorted to vituperative diatribes against Debapriya. His rabble rousing remarks made it obvious that his selective use of statistics was openly deceptive, wickedly manipulative, and deliberately dishonest.

Mahmudur, instead of correcting his deceitful statistics, filed a case of criminal defamation against the five press conference participants: CPD chairman Rehman Sobhan, Debapriya Bhattacharya, and CPD trustee board members, Manzur Elahi, Laila Kabir, and Mohammad Syeduzzaman, who are by any measure considered distinguished citizens for their service to the country.

The lawsuit appears to be a case of "collective guilt," having no specificities of statements made that are alleged to be defamatory and who has said what. The respondents are merely alleged collectively to have made statements against Mahmudur that are:

"defamatory, disgraceful, indecent, misleading, conspiratory, false, fabricated, and baseless" plus all others not found in the dictionary. Interestingly, Professor Sobhan and Laila Kabir hardly opened their lips at the press conference and Syeduzzaman had nothing to do with those alleged comments. So for these "lips-closed" personalities, it's a case of "guilt by association."

This lawsuit was not as disturbing to me as the foolhardy statement about some one's right to citizenship. Mahmudur uncouth statement that Debapriya "does not have the right to live in the country" certainly qualifies him to undergo psychiatric therapy for realigning his neurological coordinates at state's disbursement.

Challenging Debapriya, who belongs to a minority religious sect, that he had no right to live in his country of birth by a high ranking political appointee is alarming and must not be overlooked as a simple crass and puerile statement -- it must be treated as bigoted in nature, which came from a bona fide Hindu-hater, if I may. On any scale of measurement, Bangladesh would be better off without the likes of Mahmudur but certainly not without the likes of Debapriya.

Mahmudur, a former manager of Monno Ceramic, drew media spotlight for extracting pay and perquisites from his former employer long after joining the BOI. What does it tell us about his sense of propriety and integrity? No wonder where he would get the money when he indicated that he would bear the costs of his lawsuit from his own source.

Debapriya with his usual venerable composure took the high ground when responding to Mahmudur's offensive name calling (Kulangar) and bellicose statements. He beseeched: "We shall ignore all his crude and brash remarks on subjects beyond his competence as we feel embarrassed to discuss them." What a gentleman; what a classy citizen.

The flimsy lawsuit, as synopsized by Barrister Amir-Ul Islam, "highlights the vulnerability of citizens' civil rights, intellectual freedom and the freedom of expression." Issuance of arrest warrant on defamation suit against distinguished citizens, who under no circumstances would be absconding, heightened people's suspicion that Mahmudur may not be a "lone ranger" to spearhead such a fabricated lawsuit. This suspicion became compelling given that it happened at a time when these distinguished personalities are campaigning to nominate honest and competent candidates for the next parliamentary election.

The pugnacious remarks and the subsequent criminal lawsuit may not be seen as an isolated event -- it is more germane, a patented demeanor of the BNP higher ups. They beat up journalists when unfavourable reports are published against them; castigate intellectuals when their activities become issues of public scrutiny and censure. Remember? LGRD minister Mannan Bhuiyan's jumping around and screaming against the TIB's corruption report in which his ministry scored the ignominious number one ranking in the country. His cris de coeur and the threat about bringing a law suit against the TIB have ended in smoke. Prior to that in 2004, communication minister Nazmul Huda's anger against the TIB's number one ranking of his ministry also evoked a similar outcries and threats.

My friend who knows Mahmudur told me that he is "allergic" to the word "rajakar." Why so? Maybe he feels degraded, serving a government of which Jammat-e Islami, the party of collaborators, is a part. In all essence, he is broker and an aid to Matiur Rahman Nizami, Minister of Industries, in the discharge of attracting foreign investment. If the four CPD intellectuals are guilty by association, what does that make Mahmudur?

Mahmudur and his masters at Hawa Bhaban seem desperate to score jabs against the civil society for its expressed concerns over a few deals involving Asia Energy, Tata and Dhabi Group of UAE, which are stalled now. These deals involve long term leasing contracts of the country's mineral resources, and CPD's uneasiness is about the possibility of the selling of the country's interest by crooks who are anything but praiseworthy.

Some people are asking for Mahmudur's unconditional apology to the five distinguished citizens. I am not one of them. He should not go off the hook with a mere apology. I recommend the following measures:
Bring counter defamation lawsuit with charges of bigotry and name calling;
Every citizen mail a letter to Mahmudur asking him to certify their eligibility of Bangladesh citizenship;
Boycott products from Monno Ceramic until his public apology is accepted (Monno Ceramic is guilty by association);
Write to the prime minister for his removal from public service;
BNP should consider expelling him for his bigoted remarks.

Bringing defamation suits against intellectuals including editors and journalists is a way of infringing on citizens freedom of speech, voices of reasons and dissents. During the liberation war, Al Badr tried to eliminate intellectuals by murder; the ruling alliance's powerful crooks, where some elements of Al Badr are sharing power, are now trying to prosecute intellectuals to cage them in prison and thus steer clear their critiques against misrule and corruption.

Dr, Abdullah A. Dewan is Professor of Economics at Eastern Michigan University.