The High Court yesterday cleared the way for resuming the proceedings of 23 cases against daily Amar Desh acting editor Mahmdur Rahman for publishing a “defamatory' report against prime minister's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and her energy adviser Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury.

The court yesterday dismissed a rule issued in 2010, asking the government why the cases should not be declared illegal, and withdrew the stay order on the proceedings of the cases, said a lawyer.

Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice Md Badruzzaman passed the order after completing the hearing on the rule.

The cases were filed mainly by ruling party men following publication of the report in the daily on December 17, 2009.

The “false and fake” report said Towfiq and Joy took a five-million-dollar bribe from American oil company Chevron promising it to award an oil exploration order, said Rafiqul Islam Faruk, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs of the cases.

Following a writ petition of Mahmudur, the High Court in 2010 issued the rule and stayed proceedings of the cases. The court also gave him bail till disposal of the rule.

In a statement, Rafiqul said as the rule was dismissed, his bail was cancelled, and the proceedings of the cases could be resumed.