Bangladesh Army Denounces ‘Military Operations Zone’ Report as Fabricated

The Bangladesh Army has strongly protested a report published by Indian local online portal Northeast News regarding the declaration of a "Military Operations Zone" in southeastern Bangladesh. The protest was conveyed through a Facebook post by the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) on Sunday, June 1.

In the statement titled “Response of Bangladesh Army to False News by Indian Media Northeast News on Declaring Southeast Bangladesh as Military Operations Zone”, the ISPR stated, “The report titled ‘Bangladesh to declare Cox’s Bazar to Bandarban area as a Military Operations Zone’, published by Indian media outlet Northeast News, is entirely false, baseless, and motivated. This kind of report is part of a deliberate disinformation campaign by certain Indian media aimed at destabilizing Bangladesh’s internal harmony and tarnishing the image of the armed forces.”

The post further said, “The report also falsely insinuates that the Bangladesh Army is supporting ‘terrorist or separatist groups’, which is absolutely unfounded, untrue, and a form of malicious propaganda. This baseless and fictional news appears to be part of a broader conspiracy designed to mislead the public and incite division.”

Reaffirming its commitment, the Bangladesh Army stated that it “always operates with the highest professionalism to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitution. The Army has never compromised national interests and never will.”

The statement concluded with a strong rebuke, saying, “Such fabricated reports cannot be considered journalism; they are a calculated and ongoing smear campaign. Bangladesh has always remained united, and the Bangladesh Army stands ever-ready and firmly committed to protecting the nation and its people.”