Another wave of misinformation from India has surfaced.
The Press Wing of Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser has flagged and refuted the false claims.
It categorically dismissed the recent allegations published in The Hindu by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), calling the claims “wildly misleading disinformation.” The RRAG report had alleged that Bangladesh’s interim government had “targeted” 640 journalists following the ousting of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024.
In a statement shared via its verified Facebook page, the CA Press Wing asserted that while some journalists linked to the previous regime may have faced legal proceedings, these were rooted in existing judicial flaws that the Awami League had cultivated. The interim administration, it said, is now in the process of correcting those systemic issues.
“There is no truth whatsoever to the claim that the Interim Government has itself targeted journalists,” the statement reads. “The Chief Adviser, a Nobel Peace Laureate, and his Press Secretary, a former AFP bureau chief in Dhaka, have long been respected defenders of press freedom.”
The Press Wing went further to challenge the credibility and political neutrality of RRAG and its director, Suhas Chakma. The group, it alleged, has repeatedly disseminated misleading information in support of the ousted Awami League, including inflated casualty claims from the September 2024 violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. While local media confirmed four deaths in Khagrachari and Rangamati, RRAG claimed nine, and another affiliated group later exaggerated the number to 67—figures debunked by an independent investigation from DismisLab.
RRAG has also been accused of lobbying international actors, including the UN and Indian leadership, with unfounded claims aimed at discrediting the Interim Government. One of the figures cited in RRAG’s reports, journalist Tasmiah Ahmed, previously labelled student protesters as “terrorists” before criticising Professor Yunus’s administration in Deutsche Welle.
The statement reaffirmed the interim government’s commitment to democratic values: “We deplore the persecution of any group and are working to undo the legacy of authoritarianism. Our goal remains a Bangladesh where every citizen can live and work in freedom, security, and dignity.”