AL spending millions in Indian media to portray CA Yunus as militant leader: Shafiqul

Millions of dollars are being spent in Indian media to portray Chief Adviser (CA) Prof Muhammad Yunus as a militant leader, claimed CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam today (8 February).

"The Awami League and the fallen autocrat are trying to challenge the narrative of the mass uprising. If you look at their messages repeatedly, their message is 'Yunus is a militant leader, those around Yunus are militant leaders.'

"Do you know why they are doing this? This is a well-orchestrated campaign, and the Indian media is involved," he said while addressing the unveiling ceremony of "Droher Graffiti", a book on the mass uprising of 2024, at the National Press Club.

"Look at their messages – their message is 3,000 police died; their message is Yunus is a militant leader; their message is Yunus is surrounded by militant leaders," he said.

"These oligarchs of Hasina are spending millions of dollars to create a new narrative—to convince the world that what you call a mass uprising is not actually a mass uprising. This is a major conspiracy," Shafiqul said.

Referring to the period from the 1971 liberation struggle to 1972, he also commented on inconsistencies in the historical record of freedom fighters after Bangladesh's independence.

"Due to a lack of information, from a two-year-old child to opposition members, everyone was included in the list of freedom fighters in the period following independence," he said.

He further stated that measures would be taken to prevent the return of "Awami autocracy and their associates" to power in Bangladesh.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also addressed the event presided over by National Press Club President Hasan Hafiz. Journalist leaders Quader Gani Chowdhury and Syed Abdal Ahmed, among others, spoke at the programme.

Shafiqul said the Awami League and the "fallen autocracy, the mother of thieves and the mother of disappearances" want to challenge the narrative of Bangladesh.

Referring to Professor Yunus' decades of public life and his global repute, he said they need to document all the incidents.

The press secretary said they, through research, will let all know the facts and hold seminars on all the campuses so that the "fallen autocrat and her followers" cannot make a return.

Stating that Yunus has called on everyone to remain calm, he said their job is to highlight the horrors of 15 years through research.

"We will hold seminars in every campus. We will write the injustices she had done on every wall so that the dictatorship that fell in Bangladesh and its associates cannot return. We have to do this," he added.