Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Tuesday hoped that the citizen groups, Bangladeshi diaspora, political parties and civil society would raise their voices against the massive misinformation campaign against Bangladesh. "There has been a kind of massive disinformation campaign against us,” he said, adding that it is an evil effort to put the whole nation into question. The Press Secretary said what is happening around is the result of a misinformation campaign as an impression is deliberately being given that something dangerous is taking place in the country. Putting blame largely on Indian media for spreading propaganda, he said it seems the Indian media is pre-determined to say what is happening in Bangladesh. “If you have a pre-determined stance, to be honest, we can’t say much.” Alam said they are inviting journalists globally to see and write based on facts to let the world know the actual situation on the ground. Read: INR survey: Bangladesh faces media credibility crisis amid disinformation surge and digital literacy gaps Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is going to hold talks separately with different stakeholders, including political parties and religious leaders, as he seeks national unity. The Press Secretary said there is a possibility of a meeting with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy at 4pm on Wednesday. The meeting with religious leaders will be held on Thursday, but the time has not been decided yet, he said. The Press Secretary said the Chief adviser will call for national unity at the meetings. Prof Yunus held a meeting with student leaders on Tuesday evening. “He (Prof Yunus) called the students to help rebuild the nation,” Alam told UNB after the meeting. Read more: National Unity: Chief Adviser to hold talks with political, religious leaders CA’s Deputy Press Secretaries Apurba Jahangir and Abul Kalam Azad Majumder were also present at the media briefing.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will hold talks separately with different stakeholders including political parties and student leaders as he seeks national unity. Briefing the media on Tuesday evening, Chief adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said there is a possibility of a meeting with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy at 4pm on Wednesday. The meeting with religious leaders will be held on Thursday, but the time has not been decided yet, he said. Read: BNP urges Chief Adviser to foster national unity to resolve issues The Press Secretary said the Chief adviser will call for national unity at the meetings. Prof Yunus held a meeting with student leaders on Tuesday evening. CA’s Deputy Press Secretaries Apurba Jahangir and Abul Kalam Azad Majumder were also present at the media briefing.

A group of people, seeking national unity, have said communal or political violence would only make the economic situation far worse, scaring away domestic and foreign investment that are badly needed at this moment. “We urge all Bangladeshis, irrespective of religion, political affiliation, ideology, gender, age or any other characteristics, to maintain national unity in the face of this threat,” they said in a statement, expressing their solidarity for the “unified voice” in Bangladesh. Speakers call for urgent police reform to create public-friendly policing Dr Rumi Ahmed Khan, Professor of Bangladesh Studies, Physician, Convenor - Bangladesh Research Analysis and Information Network, Dr Shamaruh Mirza, scientist and activist, founder - Diaspora Alliance for Democracy, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, writer and activist, Ehteshamul Haque, lawyer, Jyoti Rahman, economist and writer; Dr Faham Abdus, scientist and activist; Nusrat Khan Majlish, engineer; Dr Nusrat Homaira, scientist; Dr Syed Rouf, Public service, Canada; Nazia Ahmed, economist and social entrepreneur; Maj Shafayat Ahmad (Retd), writer and activist; Dr Ahmad Habibur Rahman, retired faculty and engineer; Sultan Mohammed Zakaria, educationist and human rights defender; Dr Mubashar Hasan, academic and social justice activist, Executive Director - Sydney Policy Analysis Centre; Ifat Tabassum, Public Service, Australia; Dr Saiful Khondaker; Rupom Razzaque, Data Engineer and Human Rights Defender, UK; Dr Mohammed Mia, Investment Strategist and Finance Professional; Z Chowdhury, Asad Ul Islam, M Rashed; Abu Sayeed Ahamed, writer and activist; Muntasir Mamun, Ashraful Hasan, Jon Danilowicz, Kazi Ahmed, Taukir Aziz, Ehatasham Haque, Murshid Shalin, Asif Khan, Mariha Tahsin, Saif Shah Mohammed, Mahmudul Khan Apel, Faisal Mahmud, Dr Capt (rtd) Khan Sobayel Bin Rafiq, Md Subail Bin Alam, Imtiaz Mirza, Jayed Ullash, Asif Iqbal, Dr Saimum Parvez, Shahad Munna, Zia Hassan, writer and activist; Fahim Mashroor, Sainul Hossain, Zia Hassan Siddique, Dr Rushad Faridi, Islamul Haque, Waseem Alim and Rubaiyath Sarwar are the signatories to the statement. The statement says that the forces of the fallen regime, with overt and covert support of their foreign patrons, are actively sowing divisions in the country through spreading misinformation and disinformation, and instigating violence. Realistic solutions key to addressing sustainable plastic management: Speakers The statement claims that there is a concerted campaign of exaggerated, embellished, and at times, deliberately false reports of persecution of minority communities in Bangladesh. This propaganda unfortunately resulted in the brutal murder of lawyer Saiful Islam in Chattogram on 26 November 2024, they claimed. They said the interim administration, headed by Prof Muhammad Yunus, enjoys widespread support among all segments of the society.   The nation faces an urgent task of restoring confidence and trust in all institutions of the state, rebuilding the economy, and carrying out necessary reforms that will pave the way for a democratic transition, said the signatories. They unequivocally condemned the lawyer's murder, and demanded a prompt and thorough investigation, and punishment of the perpetrators. Against the solemn backdrop of the tragedy, and communal tensions leading up to it, they said, there has been a fear of reprisals against minority communities. “The people of Bangladesh, however, have shown utmost restraint and have resolutely thwarted any further escalation of violence,” the statement reads. The murderers do not represent any sect, creed, or religion but they could well be agents of the fallen despot Sheikh Hasina and her patrons, they said. ‘Resolve conflicts through dialogue with govt, avoid destructive activities that can harm national interest’: Adviser Rizwana  In this context, the signatories said, all pro-democracy forces must exercise patience and restraint while they pursue their aims to rebuild Bangladesh. “Any incendiary calls or activities could add fuel to the fire and help the fallen despot. Moreover, we are yet to dig out of the great economic black hole the Hasina regime has left our country in,” the statement says.

BNP on Wednesday shared its concerns with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus over some recent untoward incidents and called for immediate action to address the issues. A five-member BNP delegation, led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, met the chief adviser and urged him to forge a national unity to tackle the evolving situation and counter the conspirators seeking to destabilise the country.  “The main purpose of our meeting was to convey our party’s concerns to the Chief Adviser regarding the recent developments, particularly the law-and-order situation in the past few days, the issues surrounding ISKCON, and the problems of students of some colleges,” said Mirza Fakhrul. Talking to reporters after the over one-hour meeting held at the state guest house Jamuna, he said they also called upon the chief adviser to take steps for easing public sufferings. “We hope that the Chief Adviser, along with his Advisory Council, will find solutions to these problems very soon so that no such situation arises again to create a division among people,” said the BNP secretary general. He said the BNP delegation told the Chief Adviser that the greatest need at this moment is national unity. "We face many significant challenges ahead, especially from those who pose a threat to the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh or seek to destroy the country's stability. We must build national unity to confront these challenges. This is what we conveyed during the meeting," the BNP leader said. He also mentioned that they raised concerns about the public suffering caused by rising prices of essential items and urged the government to take action in this regard. "Overall, we have called for national unity through dialogue with all political parties." He also said they suggested the government increase the number of trucks from the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) in different areas, so that commodities could be sold at subsidised rates. Fakhrul said they also talked about the fertiliser distribution problem, pointing out that affiliates of the fascists are controlling it. "We have requested the government to ease this issue.” The BNP leader said they also recommended maintaining normal industrial production and ensuring that workers’ salaries and allowances are paid regularly in the industrial areas. BNP delegation to meet Chief Adviser this evening He said they urged the government to take steps to withdraw all the false cases filed against the BNP and other opposition parties during the fascist Awami League regime. The BNP Secretary General said they also called for the dissolution of the union Parishads like other local government bodies across the country. Similarly, he said, they requested the government to dissolve the trade bodies and hold fresh elections to restore order. Fakhrul said they also talked about the upcoming national election, demanding the government announce a clear roadmap.  "We emphasised in our meeting with the Chief Adviser that the election is of paramount importance. We have urged him to provide the election roadmap as soon as possible, after completing the necessary reforms." The BNP leader said the Chief Adviser listened to them attentively. "We believe they will take these matters seriously and act accordingly.” The other members of the BNP delegation included party Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Salahuddin Ahmed. Advisory Council members Hasan Arif, Adilur Rahman Khan and Mahfuj Alam were present. CA’s Call Later, briefing reporters, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. "There’s a concerted effort against us. During the meeting, the BNP conveyed a message for forging unity. The Chief Adviser also emphasised the importance of national unity among all groups, including students, the general public, and people of all faiths—Hindus, Muslims, and Christians," he said. Alam said the government has taken all necessary steps to address the evolving problems. He also mentioned that the meeting discussed the violence in Chittagong and called for national unity to address it. "The Chief Adviser sent a message of peace and urged everyone to remain calm.”

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman called for unity and justice on Friday, urging the nation to rise above divisions in politics and religion. Addressing a gathering at Rajbari Maidan, Gazipur, he stressed the importance of coming together as a single nation and honouring the sacrifices of those who have fought for justice. “We want a united nation,” he said at the event, organised to meet families of martyrs who lost their lives in the recent mass uprising. “No divisions based on party or religion should exist. There is no majority or minority here. We are all equal in this state,” the Jamaat leader said. He said that the families of the martyrs be treated with the respect they deserve, demanding that the government provide at least one member from each family with a respectable job. He emphasised the need to support those who were injured during the movement, ensuring that they are not left dependent on others' mercy. “We will not allow the nation to be divided further,” Shafiqur said. “The only ones who seek to divide us are the enemies of the country. There will be no more scope to split us along political or religious lines.” The Jamaat Amir also called for an independent judiciary, free from political influence. “We want judges who can uphold justice without bias,” he said. “No rogue should sit in the chair of justice. Let justice be based on law and evidence.” He also urged the government to recognise the martyrs and include their stories in educational curricula so that the future generation can learn about their sacrifices. “Martyrs are national assets, and the state must fulfill its moral duty toward their families,” he said. Concluding his speech, Rahman called for unity, saying, “We have cast all divisions aside. Our duty is now to unite and build the country together.”  

President-elect Joe Biden will deliver an appeal to national unity when he is sworn in Wednesday and plans immediate moves to combat the coronavirus pandemic and undo some of President Donald Trump’s most controversial policies, his incoming chief of staff said Sunday.

President Md Abdul Hamid has urged the nation to forge an ironclad unity as it did during the Liberation War and stand united against communalism, undemocratic behaviour and violence.