ICT, Telecommunications, and Information Advisor Md Nahid Islam has condemned what he described as “misinformation” being spread about Bangladesh’s recent uprising, specifically referencing two Indian media outlets. He stated that attempts are being made to falsely associate the recent upheaval in Bangladesh with Islamic extremism, which he asserted is completely untrue. He further suggested that such narratives may be fueled by extremist elements in India, who could benefit from creating an image of Islamic radicalization in Bangladesh.
Speaking on Sunday, October 6, at the seminar titled “The Cross-Border Spread of Misinformation in South Asia” held at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, the advisor pointed to the student-public movement, which has been the subject of various distortions in Indian and international media. He criticized the media coverage, particularly that of The Economic Times and Anandabazar Patrika, for making baseless and controversial claims about Mahfuz Alam, a key figure in the anti-discrimination movement and a special assistant to the chief advisor.
Nahid Islam emphasized that these reports aim to establish a false narrative about Bangladesh on the global stage, which he strongly condemned. He added that the uprising is not a sudden event but the result of 16 years of accumulated public frustration. The movement was not led by any political party or organization but was driven by ordinary students and citizens.
Referring to attempts to undermine both the uprising and the interim government, the advisor stressed the need for collective efforts to establish democracy and social justice in Bangladesh. He also called for a united front in the fight against misinformation and false narratives in South Asia, particularly regarding the region’s democratic future.
The seminar also featured speeches by Professor Salimullah Khan and Secretary of the ICT Division, Shish Haider Chowdhury.
