“Have you seen any protests?” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam asked on Monday, asserting that the people of Bangladesh have universally accepted the government’s decision to ban the activities of the Awami League.
He made the remarks during a “Meet the Press” event organised by the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
Addressing the role of journalists in relation to alleged misconduct under the Awami League government, Shafiqul said, “We are sending a letter to the United Nations office, either today or tomorrow, requesting the deployment of an independent expert to assess how journalism in Bangladesh has failed over the past 15 years.”
He alleged that under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, journalists contributed to state violence by labelling individuals as militants without due verification. “Decent people were branded as extremists, which in turn legitimised their killings. In effect, the media incited the state to act against them,” he claimed.
The press secretary further stated that Bangladesh had experienced three flawed elections in recent years, resulting in a breakdown of democracy.
“In every society where such failures occur, the role of the press is scrutinised. Many now posing as civil society figures were complicit. We want to expose these failures and will brief the UN on how and where journalism failed,” he said.