AL govt consulted British barrister on legal action against Al Jazeera: Sunday Times

Renowned British barrister Desmond Browne KC advised the government of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s former prime minister, on pursuing legal action against journalists following a critical documentary aired by Al Jazeera in 2021, The Sunday Times reported. The British newspaper also reported that the government at the time planned on arresting David Bergman in Bangladesh for his involvement with the documentary.

The documentary, All The Prime Minister’s Men, highlighted allegations of corruption and abuse of power under Hasina’s administration. The film led to sanctions from the United States against then army chief General Aziz Ahmed and his brother, and sparked retaliation against whistleblowers in Bangladesh, said The Sunday Times report. Hasina’s government labelled the documentary defamatory and politically motivated at the time.

Documents found in Hasina’s former residence after her ousting last year reveal that her officials, through the Bangladeshi High Commission in London, contacted Desmond Browne in February 2021 to explore legal action against Al Jazeera and its contributors, including British journalist David Bergman. The contact took place days after the documentary had come out. During a virtual meeting, Browne recommended retaining a solicitor to instruct him. He referred the officials to Jeremy Clarke-Williams, a UK-based lawyer specialising in reputation management, who met the officials days later, reported The Sunday Times.

The documents show the Bangladeshi officials sought advice on filing defamation cases in the UK, including suing journalists individually. They reportedly planned to arrest Bergman in Bangladesh, claiming he was behind the “politically motivated” documentary. Bergman, a critic of Hasina’s government, had previously been denied renewal of a visa that allowed him to stay in Bangladesh.

Browne confirmed to The Sunday Times that he provided initial advice but stated no further steps were taken. He invoked the “cab rank” rule to explain his involvement with the Hasina regime. The cab rank rule is a principle requiring barristers to accept clients regardless of their beliefs or actions. Clarke-Williams, the lawyer referred by Desmond Browne, did not respond to The Sunday Times to comment on the matter.

Hasina’s government eventually abandoned plans for UK litigation, instead attempting to pressure YouTube and Facebook to remove the documentary, which both platforms refused, said The Sunday Times.

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