Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) has strongly condemned several prominent Bangladeshi media outlets for publishing what it terms "deliberately misleading reports" involving party convener Nahid Islam.
The party expressed grave concern over reports in Daily Manab Zamin, Daily Kalbela, Daily Kaler Kantho, and NTV, describing them as examples of "clickbait and predatory journalism."
The controversy centres around incorrect identification of Atik Morshed's role in Daily Manab Zamin's report, which wrongly described him as Nahid Islam's personal officer. NCP clarified that Morshed served in this capacity only whilst Nahid Islam held an advisory position, and currently works as personal officer to the Chief Advisor's Special Assistant, Faiz Tayyeb Ahmed. The party emphasised that during Nahid Islam's advisory tenure, Nagad operated under Bangladesh Bank's jurisdiction, suggesting political motivation behind linking him to Nagad-related matters.
NCP raised serious concerns about allegations that the investigative report stemmed from a "ready-made dossier" provided by an intelligence agency. The party drew parallels to the 1/11 caretaker regime era, when politically commissioned stories targeted various figures, warning that similar activities were "reverberating under a fascist system and recreating a pre-1/11 scenario."
The situation escalated when a major political party's media cell began circulating "photo cards" targeting NCP and Nahid Islam immediately after publication, without conducting fact-checking. NCP described this development as "alarming and troubling," emphasising their commitment to constructive, logical, and fact-based political criticism in post-uprising Bangladesh.
Whilst Daily Manab Zamin issued a correction on its online platform following student and public backlash, three other outlets - Daily Kalbela, Daily Kaler Kantho, and NTV - published sensational reports based on a Facebook post by a political party leader. NCP has urged all involved media houses to immediately correct the misleading information and acknowledge their professional responsibilities.
The party expressed disappointment with Bangladesh's media landscape following the mass uprising, stating they had yet to witness expected improvements. NCP alleged that "agents of fascism" remained embedded within media organisations, with ongoing efforts to question and distort the uprising and Sheikh Hasina's regime. The statement highlighted concerns about political capture of media outlets continuing in established patterns, with certain political forces attempting to seize control of media ownership and key positions through oligarchic media tycoons.
To address these concerns, NCP demanded immediate implementation of the Media Reform Commission's recommendations by the interim government. The party reaffirmed its commitment to resist, alongside the people, those attempting to recreate 1/11 conditions through media interference and politicisation of state institutions, drawing inspiration from the sovereign will demonstrated in the 2024 uprising.
Joint Member Secretary Saleh Uddin Sifat issued the statement on behalf of NCP, emphasising the organisation's stance on maintaining press freedom and neutrality whilst combating what they perceive as systematic media manipulation.
NRE/HKJ
