Hasnat Abdullah Calls for Reinstatement of Suspended TV Anchor

Reports have circulated on social media claiming that three individuals, including a news anchor, were dismissed from a private television channel after allegedly using offensive language against Hasnat Abdullah, Chief Organizer (Southern Region) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), and Sarjis Alam, Chief Organizer (Northern Region). However, in a surprising turn of events, Hasnat Abdullah himself has now called for the reinstatement of the anchor.

On Thursday (March 13) at midnight, Abdullah made the appeal in a Facebook post, which quickly gained attention, receiving likes, love reactions, as well as some “haha” reactions.

In his post, Abdullah wrote:
"The journalists at ‘Ekhon TV’ must be reinstated. We fought for the freedom to express dissent. We fought for your freedom to use offensive language. Not just freedom of speech, but also freedom of disagreement must be upheld."

The post sparked mixed reactions from netizens. Some welcomed his gesture of generosity, with one commenter writing, "You are the pride of our country."

Writer Bratya Raisu commented:
"Hasnat Abdullah has now demanded the reinstatement of the Ekhon TV journalists who lost their jobs due to using offensive language. This is a good gesture. You may think this is a political stunt by NCP or Hasnat to differentiate themselves from traditional political parties. They will likely continue to introduce such surprises in the future. If these surprises bring positive changes, then they are welcome. More than a humanitarian gesture, this is a strategic decision to enhance their party’s popularity. Best wishes to Hasnat Abdullah."

However, many others criticized the equation of offensive language with dissent, warning against the tolerance of inappropriate behavior.

Among the opposing voices, Mehedi Hasan Palash wrote:
"Disagreement does not mean using offensive language. You cannot encourage abusive behavior."

Another commenter, Md. Mohiuddin Hasan Khan, sarcastically remarked:
"Then let us also start hurling abuse at you and see how long this so-called freedom of speech lasts."

A.B. Zubair questioned the logic behind "freedom of offensive speech", arguing:
"Using offensive language is a wrongdoing. There must be consequences. (This does not necessarily mean job termination, but some form of justice must be served). If someone uses offensive language without reason, why should they not face consequences? Freedom of speech does not mean legitimizing insults."

Similarly, Vivid Wadud wrote:
"This was not a good move. This is not dissent... Think about it. Trying to please everyone does not always yield good results."

Jannatun Naim Preeti praised Hasnat’s stand for dissent but raised concerns about whether freedom of speech should include offensive language. She stated:
"Hasnat, I appreciate that you are standing up for your critics, but we recently discussed that freedom of speech does not mean freedom to hurl insults. NCP will only be taken seriously when they prove that they truly stand for freedom of speech, including the right to disagree."

In a historical comparison, Shahin Hasnat argued that forgiving offensive language in this context serves authoritarianism rather than democracy. He commented:
"The one who was insulted can personally choose to forgive. But these insults were directed against the July Revolution and in favor of fascism. Even if Hasnat and Sarjis forgive, those who fight against fascism without seeking heroism know that such forgiveness is an act of excessive tolerance. In every layer of the media, certain elements lurk like treacherous daggers, waiting for their moment, just as in the betrayal at Plassey."

The debate took another turn when Elias Hossain pointed out double standards regarding offensive language in the media, questioning why the government had not taken any action against individuals who insult religious figures. He asked:
"Sarjis Bhai was insulted, and the Ekhon TV anchor lost her job. Good, we also want justice. But my question is—so much time has passed, yet has there been any action against Rakhal Raha for insulting Allah and His Messenger? Why not?"

The controversy began on Thursday evening, when Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam attended the funeral of the young rape victim in Magura. During a live broadcast by the private television channel, an anchor reportedly used offensive language while discussing the two leaders. A clip of the incident later circulated on social media, and reports emerged claiming that the television management had terminated the news anchor and two others.