Govt to take legal action for publishing false news: CA’s deputy press secretary

The government will take legal action if the publication of false news causes public confusion, said Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar, deputy press secretary to the chief adviser.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka today (4 June), he said, "Several newspapers published 'false, fake, baseless, and misleading' reports today regarding the Freedom Fighters Council Ordinance."

He noted that the Press Wing had verified the claims with the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, confirming the inaccuracy of the reports. 

"We expect the newspapers concerned to acknowledge their mistakes and publish corrections in the same places where the original reports appeared," he added.

Emphasising the government's support for press freedom, he said, "The interim government is very liberal regarding media freedom. We welcome constructive criticism. But that does not give anyone the licence to publish or spread false information to mislead the public."

He warned that from now on, the government will pursue legal action against individuals or entities responsible for disseminating such misinformation.

Earlier in the day, several media outlets, including Samakal, Jugantor, Ittefaq, and Kaler Kantho published news claiming that the freedom fighter status of over 100 political leaders has been revoked.

Later, the Chief Adviser's Press Wing clarified that the news is completely baseless, false, and misleading.

According to a Facebook status of the CA Press Wing, Faruk-e-Azam, an advisor to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, clarified that all members of the Mujibnagar Government are considered freedom fighters.

Those who actively fought in the war and led it are recognised as freedom fighters, while the officials and staff of that government are categorised as "Associates of the Liberation War".