In a recent development, the Editors' Council president, Nurul Kabir, has made a startling revelation about the unrest in Bangladesh. He claims that a segment of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government played a role in allowing the attacks on prominent newspapers and a cultural center. The incidents of vandalism and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and Chhayanaut in Dhaka occurred following the death of radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi. This comes as a shock, especially after Osman's brother accused a section of the government of orchestrating the killing to delay the parliamentary elections. The brother also warned of a potential fate similar to that of Sheikh Hasina if the attackers of Osman are not swiftly brought to justice.
Nurul Kabir, speaking at the 6th Broadcast Conference of the Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC), emphasized that the government had prior knowledge of the planned attacks. He stated, 'It is clear that announcements had been made one or two days prior to destroy Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and Chhayanaut. Everyone in this country knows who made these announcements, including the government. Under any law of Bangladesh, this is a criminal offence. Yet the government did not arrest them beforehand to prevent it.'
The editor of daily New Age further revealed that the government's inaction was intentional, as they had already announced the destruction of these establishments. He added, 'They had already announced that these would be destroyed. That is why we have said that at least some part of the government allowed this to happen. Then, it was an organized force that carried out this act. Among those already arrested, clear political affiliations have been found.'
It is worth noting that BNP leader Tarique Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh after a 17-year self-exile in London, was the first to link Osman's killing to a 'conspiracy' to postpone the polls. This statement has raised further questions and concerns about the government's involvement and the potential motives behind the attacks.
