Bangladesh has expressed its displeasure to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk over a recent letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and a press note on the country “without waiting for fuller information and facts.” “We expect that human rights mechanisms would give themselves adequate time before jumping to conclusions without the benefit of full facts to avoid the risks of being influenced by rumors and unverified information,” according to Bangladesh’s response to Türk on November 10. The letter seen by UNB notes that the UN rights chief’s letter, dated November 1, 2023, addressed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has been written “hastily without waiting for fuller information and facts” to emerge and without allowing sufficient time for reflection. The letter mentioned that a press note was also “hurriedly released” from Türk’s office on the same issue without consulting Bangladesh, and without taking into consideration the facts and figures the country provided along with “horrific images and video footage taken from neutral sources.” Guided by the obligations emanated from the constitution, Bangladesh side said that the government has been allowing and extending necessary cooperation to all political parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to arrange assemblies, protests, processions etc. Read: Bangladesh can be an ideal location for BRI, IPS cooperation: Prof Imtiaz In this spirit the government allowed mass assemblies convened by different political parties on October 28, 2023 on the streets of Dhaka despite the declared objective of a major opposition party – BNP – to create anarchy and disconnect Dhaka from other parts of Bangladesh as a pressure tactic, reads the letter. During its rally and strike on October 28-29, the unruly activists of BNP – “misguided” by the propaganda of its leaders – took recourse to indiscriminate street violence, arson, other forms of violent activities on the apolitical law enforcement agency members, police stations, CCTV cameras, the judiciary, media personnel, innocent civilians, state institutions, hospitals, ambulances, fire service vehicles and public properties, according to Bangladesh’s reply to Türk. A member of the police was beaten to death while more than 100 police officers were injured, a bus worker was burnt alive, residences of the chief justice of Bangladesh and other judges of the Supreme Court were attacked, it said. Read: Economy buffeted by political unrest amid declining forex reserves: Analysts On the following days, as BNP spread the “campaign of arson and terror” all over Bangladesh, a few more people were killed, reads the letter. “It is unfortunate that BNP unleashed its attacks on the on-duty media personnel. TV cameras were snatched away and at least 25 journalists were attacked, several of whom were admitted to hospitals. Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) condemned these attacks by the BNP activists,” according to Bangladesh’s response.  In the letter, Bangladesh said Türk’s office should conduct an unbiased assessment of BNP’s targeted attacks on the press impeding freedom of expression. “Let me reassure you that our law enforcement agencies (LEAs) are well-trained to apply minimal and optimal force as they seek to prevent destruction of property or lives. Our LEAs deserve appreciation for being reasonable and restrained despite a member of the Police being mercilessly beaten to death by BNP hoodlums,” reads the letter. The current government, as a democratically elected one, is committed to uphold the rule of law and ensure peace and security, it said. Every single arrest made following the incident of October 28, was based on specific allegations against the persons concerned, Bangladesh said. “There has been no arbitrary arrest and detention, and we assure them access to full legal recourse as allowed under domestic laws,” the letter said. Read: Uncertainty, tension grip students, parents amid raging political crisis In its reply, Bangladesh also mentioned that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was convicted on corruption charges in two cases while a few other cases are ongoing – all of which were filed during the 2007-08 caretaker administration. Considering her health condition, based on the application of her family members, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina suspended her sentence under legal provision. “Begum Khaleda Zia was offered a release for a period of six months on conditions of (a) taking treatment in Bangladesh and (b) not leaving the country. She accepted the conditions under which she was released on 25 March 2020 and her release tenure was extended several times,” said the government of Bangladesh. Bangladesh in its reply mentioned that she has been receiving treatment of the highest standard at the Evercare Hospital, one of the best hospitals in Bangladesh, as per her choice. Recently, her family members and the leadership of BNP sought permission from the government to bring specialist doctors from the USA for her treatment. The government accorded its permission. Bangladesh appreciated engagement of Türk’s office with the government of Bangladesh on the recent developments. “As Bangladesh is constructively and consistently engaged with the UN mechanisms in promoting and protecting human rights, we expect our steadfast commitment would be reciprocated with the spirit of cooperation and proportionality,” reads the letter to the UN rights chief. Read EC to announce polls schedule in a couple of days: PM Hasina

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal will hold a meeting with a Facebook delegation on Thursday (August 3, 2023), on preventing propaganda on social media. The meeting will be held at Election Commission building in Dhaka’s Agargaon at 11 am tomorrow. Read: Dialogue among political parties needed to resolve crisis: CEC tells US Ambassador When contacted, Election Commission (EC) Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath said, the Facebook delegation sought time for the meeting. Asked about the reason behind the meeting, he said, “The national election is approaching. With that in mind, there can be a discussion on how to prevent propaganda on social media.” Read: US to send pre-election assessment and monitoring team in early Oct: Peter Haas Three officials from Facebook's Singapore office will meet the CEC. The delegation will be led by head of public policy for Bangladesh at Facebook's parent company Meta, Ruzan Sarwar, the EC official said.

Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in Xinjiang, China draws many tourists from home and abroad. Located at the center of Kashgar Old City, the mosque is considered one of the local landmarks. Kashgar was historically important for its position on the ancient Silk Road, officials said. "The mosque can accommodate around 20,000 people during the two major religious celebrations," Imam of the mosque, Mohammad Jummah, told a visiting Bangladesh media delegation. Muslims gather at the mosque each Friday for Jummah prayers, apart from the five regular prayers each day, he said. Residents of Kashgar enjoy better life with the growing presence of religious tourists that boost their business, officials said. Read: PM Hasina inaugurates 50 more model mosques The Imam of the mosque trashed the claim that China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has "concentration camps," calling it baseless. "We don't believe there are any kind of concentration camps. This is just a lie," Imam Mohammad Jummah said, adding that there was an "ulterior motive" behind what he says "such baseless claims and propaganda." He also said, "I am 53 years old. I have never seen any accident or violence in my life." Recently, envoys from 14 countries, including Brazil, Iran, Indonesia, Ecuador and Senegal, visited China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at the invitation of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read: Shat Gombuj Mosque abuzz with tourists

The government has decided to deal with "anti-government propaganda" at home and abroad in a "coordinated way" and fight against misinformation by presenting correct information. Representatives from the relevant ministries and departments will sit regularly to find effective ways to present correct information about Bangladesh against fabrication and misinformation. The decision was taken at a meeting held at State guesthouse Padma on Sunday with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in the chair. Law Minister Anisul Huq, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and representatives from law enforcement agencies were present. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate the work. Asked about the meeting, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said it was a closed-door meeting and there is nothing to share with the media. Read more: Misinformation, fake news a grave concern, says Md Shahriar Alam

Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, who criticised “The Kashmir Files” as a “propaganda” and “vulgar film” at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, today (November 29, 2022) received harsh criticism from the Israeli ambassador to India. In an “open letter” posted on Twitter the day after IFFI jury chair Lapid criticised the movie at the festival’s closing ceremony, Israeli envoy Naor Gilon also expressed his regrets to India, NDTV reports. The 1990 migration and murders of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley is the subject of Vivek Agnihotri’s film “The Kashmir Files”. Since it was released in March, it has been engulfed in controversy. Read: ‘Wakanda Forever’ review: A king-less kingdom mourns, rebuilds The Israeli ambassador tweeted this morning: “An open letter to #NadavLapid following his criticism of #KashmirFiles. It’s not in Hebrew because I wanted our Indian brothers and sisters to be able to understand. It is also relatively long so I’ll give you the bottom line first. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. Here’s why:” Ambassador Gilon claimed that filmmaker Lapid had exploited the judges’ panel invitation from the film festival in India’s Goa in the “worst way”. He wrote: “In Indian culture they say that a guest is like God. You have abused in the worst way the Indian invitation to chair the panel of judges at @IFFIGoa as well as the trust, respect and warm hospitality they have bestowed on you.” Read: Iranian who inspired ‘The Terminal’ dies of ‘heart attack’ at Paris airport “I unequivocally condemn such statements. There is no justification. It does show the sensitivity of the Kashmir issue here,” the Israeli ambassador’s tweet read. “From your interview to Ynet the connection you make between your criticism of #KashmirFiles and your dislike to what is happening in Israeli politics was quite evident.” He further tweeted: “As a human being I feel ashamed and want to apologize to our hosts for the bad manner in which we repaid them for their generosity and friendship.” Gilon claimed in tweets directed to Lapid that the relations between Israel and India are very strong and will endure the “damages” caused by the latter’s comments. Read More: In Kashmir, ‘conscious music’ tests India’s limits on speech Israeli filmmaker and IFFI jury head Lapid yesterday (November 28, 2022) remarked that “The Kashmir Files” movie “disturbed and shocked” the festival jury members. He said, “That felt to us like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.” 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told Parliament that the government is working to punish Bangladeshis who are engaged in propaganda against the country and the government abroad. “The government has been working to bring those…to book and punish,” she said. She said those people are engaged in anti-government activities and they regularly make provocative and fabricated statements from abroad. Read more: Opposition out to destabilise politics amid crisis: PM tells Parliament The PM made the statement while replying to a question from Awami League lawmaker Nur Uddin Chowdhary Nayan (Laxmipur-2) during the question-answer session in the House. She said the expatriate Bangladeshis brighten the name and image of Bangladesh through their positive activities in the host countries alongside sending remittance. They can play role to protect the interests of Bangladesh, staying in the host countries, she added. “Alongside playing the positive role by the expatriate Bangladeshis, unfortunately some people among the expatriate Bangladeshis are engaged in propaganda against the country and the government,” said the PM. She also mentioned that steps have been taken to brighten the image of Bangladesh and stop propaganda abroad. Read more:Do your best to boost food production to keep Bangladesh free from famine: PM Hasina urges youth Hasina said regular efforts continue to publish factual news stories and articles in international media for depicting the positive image of Bangladesh and facing propaganda. If an untrue and propaganda story is published in the international media, the public diplomacy wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sends objective and factual rejoinder to the news outlets, she said. The fabricated and baseless social media posts of those who spread propaganda are under watch, said the PM.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Saturday, urged expatriate Bangladeshis to highlight Bangladesh’s development journey and give a fitting reply to the propaganda abroad against the country and the government. “Give fitting response to propaganda against us,” she said. The premier was addressing a civic reception, accorded to her by the Bangladeshi community in New York, US. Read:PM: Returning from UNGA with friendship for Bangladesh She asked Bangladeshi expats to convey a true picture of the country’s unprecedented development that transpired under the Awami League government, and move forward with dignity and honour that Bangladesh has earned.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Friday alleged that a vested group got engaged in spreading propaganda against the government in many ways to undermine its pro-people initiatives and sought united efforts to deal with that propaganda upholding the truth.   He said they (who are spreading propaganda) are trying to bring trouble for the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by creating confusion among the people. Foreign minister Momen urged the Jubo League and Chhatra League leaders to deal with that propaganda by showing that people in Bangladesh are doing well compared to other countries amid the Russia-Ukraine war. He was speaking at an event organised by Sylhet District and Metropolitan Chhatra League marking National Mourning Day. Read:Momen retreats into full 'blame the media' mode

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said an identified group is carrying out propaganda and spreading confusion purposefully saying that the electricity and energy crisis will prolong in the country. He urged the people not to be misled by the motivated propaganda which are being carried out by those who want to see failures of the country, not its development and who are patrons of communal ill-forces. The minister made the call while briefing reporters at his ministry’s office, said a PID handout. He said the world's energy supply chain has become unstable due to the Russia-Ukraine war during the global economic recovery from coronavirus pandemic, which led to an abnormal rise in fuel prices in the international market. Quader, also the general secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, said more than 90 per cent of the countries across the world depend on imports for primary energy. As an energy importer, this situation has had a negative impact on Bangladesh as well, he said. Now almost all countries of the world including Europe and America are facing the energy crisis and they have drastically reduced the consumption of electricity and fuel in a bid to tackle the situation, he said. The minister said the government of Bangladesh has taken various preemptive measures to face the negative impacts caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, resultant economic sanctions, as well as price hike of fuel, gas and fertilizers in the international market. He said the high inflation rate in the developed world indicates the severity of the global economic crisis. June last year, the inflation rate was 9.1pc in the United States, while 9.4pc in the United Kingdom, 8.9pc in Germany, 15.9pc in Russia, 78.6pc in Turkey, 9.4pc in the Netherlands, 39.9pc in Sri Lanka and 21.3pc in Pakistan, he noted. But the inflation rate was 7.56pc in Bangladesh in June, said the minister, adding that many quarters are trying to mislead people by talking about only Bangladesh inflation. “In Bangladesh, the situation remains relatively tolerable due to the precautionary measures taken by the Sheikh Hasina’s government,” he added.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday accused the government of using Bangladesh embassies and high commissions abroad for conducting Awami League’s ’s (AL’s) propaganda. “It’s the responsibility of all embassies/missions under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protect the interests of Bangladesh in different countries of the world. The state bears all the expenses of those missions with taxpayers’ money,” he said. READ: Revoke decision to hike in LPG prices: BNP Speaking at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said these missions are being used against the interest of people in a shameless and unprofessional way. “These organisations are being used to spread lies and deceive people.” He alleged that Bangladesh mission in Washington distorted the statements of US Congressman and Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Gregory W Meeks who talked about the sanctions issue at a fundraising event in New York’s Queens area. "By distorting his (Meeks’) statement and creating a smokescreen in the local and foreign media, the Washington mission has not only deceived the conscious people, but also has utterly humiliated Bangladesh to the United States," the BNP leader said. He said Congressman Meeks himself has already rejected the press release of the Bangladesh Embassy and presented his statement in the international media, on his own website and on the website of the US the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. In the statement posted on the website of the US the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Fakhrul said Meeks clearly backed the US sanctions on RAB and some of its current and former officials. “Meeks said he strongly supports the Biden administration's decision on the issue of human rights violation. He also said he’ll work to help Bangladesh address the human rights and democratic challenges, including ensuring that the next election is held in a free and fair manner.” Besides, Fakhrul said a press release was issued by Bangladesh’s embassy in Brussels on the basis of a private press conference where the statements have been presented like that of an active worker of Awami League. He said the press release was published in various media. “This is the proof of turning the embassy into a propaganda institution of the Awami League instead of the state. The BNP leader said these activities of the two embassies are the latest proof of the government’s ‘evil’ efforts to destroy the state institutions. READ: People to turn down search committee’s recommendations: BNP  Politicising Foreign Ministry Fakhrul alleged that the Foreign Ministry’s officials in different cities inhabited by Bangladeshi expatriates, including the Middle East, are behaving like the ruling party workers by regularly attending Awami League’s functions. "It has tarnished the image of the Foreign Ministry. Though the professional officers and employees have become angry over the matter, they’re being forced to remain silent.” He said though the Bangladesh embassy in Washington has already withdrawn the press release containing distorted comments of US Congressman Meeks, the Foreign Ministry still did not remove it from its website. “This is a digital document and shameless proof of how the Foreign Ministry has been politicised. These incidents are also exposing how the fascist government has turned entire state machinery into its weapons to hang onto power,” Fakhrul said. He urged the government to take steps for holding a credible election under a non-party neutral admiration to ensure people’s voting rights, shunning all evil efforts against the country and its people.