Indian Express interview of fugitive Asaduzzamn Khan full of lies: CA Press Wing

The interview of fugitive mass murder accused Asaduzzamn Khan Kamal carried by The Indian Express is full of lies and misinformation, the Chief Adviser's (CA) Press Wing said today (24 January).

"Former home minister Kamal, a close associate of fallen dictator Sheikh Hasina, who is reportedly hiding in India, is one of the masterminds of the July-August killings. The Indian Express carried his lies without verifying the information," the press wing said in a statement posted on its verified Facebook page - CA Press Wing Facts.

"Kamal, in his interview, said, between August 3-5 last year, approximately 460 police stations were burnt, and 5,829 weapons were taken away from police stations.

"According to Police Headquarters, a total of 5,750 arms were looted from police stations, and most of them were looted on August 5," said the press wing.

Of the looted arms, it said, police have already recovered 4,358 arms, and the drives to recover the rest are still on. 

The Police Headquarters data also said a total of 114 police stations came under attack during the movement. Of them, 58 were burnt and 56 were vandalised, while all the police stations are now functional, according to the statement.

"In his interview, Kamal termed the July-August Student-People Mass Uprising as 'a joint coup by Islamic terrorists and the army.' It demonstrates further that fallen dictator Hasina, her aides, and her party still have no remorse for overseeing the killing of over a thousand people, including children, and injuring nearly 20,000 people," said the press wing.

"In his interview, Kamal sought India's intervention in Bangladesh's courts, which is a clear threat against Bangladesh's sovereignty and proof of a conspiracy being hatched by Hasina and her people from India against Bangladesh," the statement read.

"Kamal claimed that 54 murder victims had come back after he was accused in cases regarding these killings. His claim is totally baseless, and The Indian Express published it without any verification by any official or independent sources," it said.

Kamal also claimed that Bangladesh's "media is completely under their [Interim Government] control", which the press wing said is a very wrong statement, as since August 8, 2024, no local or international media outlets have faced any barriers by any government agencies.

The interim government of Bangladesh believes in full freedom of the press, it added.