A Dhaka court yesterday accepted a Tk 100 crore defamation suit filed by road safety campaigner Ilias Kanchan against former shipping minister Shajahan Khan.

After scrutinising the documents, Dhaka's First Joint District Judge Utpal Bhattcherjee passed the order.

The court also summoned Shajahan and sought his explanation within March 22.

Ilias on Wednesday filed the defamation suit, claiming Tk 100 core as compensation for his derogatory comments.

In his complaint, Nirapad Sarak Chai Chairman Ilias stated that Shajahan at a programme in Narayanganj on December 8 last year accused Ilias of illegally accumulating a huge amount of wealth.

According to the case statement, Shahjahan said he would make public how much money Ilias had received and for what purpose, and also how much money Ilias took for himself and in the name of Ilias' son and daughter-in-law.

Shajahan's comments at the time were published in different media, it said.

Such comments damaged Ilias Kanchan's reputation nationally and internationally, Ilias said.  

On December 11, Ilias urged Shajahan to withdraw his comment, but he did not do so, the case statement read.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation yesterday declared demonstration across the country on February 18 protesting the filing of a case against its executive president Shajahan Khan.

The federation took the decision at a meeting at its Segunbagicha office, Osmal Ali, general secretary of the platform, told The Daily Star last night.

"If he [Ilias Kanchan] does not withdraw the false case within February 18, we will announce our next programme," he said, adding, "Cases would be filed against him across the country for filing a false case."