According to the Sunday Times, the AL government sought advice from a British barrister regarding potential legal action against Al Jazeera
The newspaper disclosed information derived from documents discovered at Hasina's residence.
Renowned British barrister Desmond Browne KC provided legal advice to the government of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's former prime minister, on pursuing action against journalists following the airing of a critical Al Jazeera documentary in 2021, The Sunday Times reported. The British newspaper also revealed that the government at that time considered arresting David Bergman in Bangladesh for his involvement in the documentary. All The Prime Minister's Men exposed allegations of corruption and abuse of power within Hasina's administration, which led to U.S. sanctions on then-army chief General Aziz Ahmed and his brother, and prompted retaliation against whistleblowers in Bangladesh. Hasina's government at the time denounced the documentary as defamatory and politically motivated.
Documents discovered at Hasina’s former residence after her ousting last year indicate that, through the Bangladeshi High Commission in London, her officials contacted Desmond Browne in February 2021, shortly after the documentary's release, to explore potential legal action against Al Jazeera and its contributors, including British journalist David Bergman. In a virtual meeting, Browne advised the officials to hire a solicitor to instruct him and referred them to Jeremy Clarke-Williams, a UK lawyer specializing in reputation management, who subsequently met with the officials.
The documents also show that Bangladeshi officials sought guidance on filing defamation lawsuits in the UK, including against individual journalists, and reportedly planned to arrest Bergman in Bangladesh, accusing him of being behind the "politically motivated" documentary. Bergman, a critic of Hasina's government, had previously faced a refusal to renew his visa for staying in Bangladesh. Browne confirmed to The Sunday Times that he had offered initial advice, but no further action was taken. He cited the "cab rank" rule, which mandates barristers to accept clients regardless of their beliefs or actions, to explain his involvement with the Hasina regime. Clarke-Williams did not respond to The Sunday Times for comment.
Ultimately, Hasina's government abandoned plans for litigation in the UK and instead tried to pressure YouTube and Facebook into removing the documentary, but both platforms refused, according to The Sunday Times.
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