Bangladesh: Indian media backing 'militant leader' narrative against Yunus

DHAKA: Bangladesh's interim government has accused the Indian media of being involved in what it calls "a very well-orchestrated" campaign by the Awami League against chief adviser Muhammad Yunus to portray him as a "militant leader", amid claims of banning Sheikh Hasina's party.

Claiming that "Hasina's oligarchs" are spending millions of dollars on this, Yunus's press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, Saturday alleged, "It is a well-orchestrated campaign... The Indian media is also involved in this."

Drawing attention to Awami League's messages, Alam said, "Look at them -- their message is Yunus is a militant leader, and Yunus is surrounded by militant leaders."

He said Hasina and her followers are trying to create a new narrative, challenging the July mass uprising in their efforts to make the global community understand that it was not an uprising but a big conspiracy. Alam said Awami League and the "fallen autocracy, the mother of thieves and the mother of disappearances" want to challenge the interim government.

Meanwhile, adviser for local government, rural development and cooperatives Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, one of the leaders of the students' movement, hinted that the interim government would soon take steps to ban Awami League as a political party.