Hasina’s son flags ‘mob rule’ in Bangladesh; interim govt warns media shutdown

On Sunday, Bangladesh’s interim government issued a stern warning to media organizations, threatening closure if they publish or broadcast false or misleading news. According to media reports, the move aims to curb the spread of misinformation amidst ongoing unrest.
Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, the Bangladesh interim government’s Home Affairs Adviser, criticized the Bangladesh media for failing to uphold the truth, asserting, “A nation falters when the media does not uphold the truth.”
He warned that the media outlets would face closure if they provided misleading news, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. “The media often ignores the truth…There is a lack of substantive discussion on talk shows, and the media fails to provide accurate information,” he said.
He argued that more accurate reporting could have potentially avoided the current crisis involving the police, and condemned the media for neglecting substantive discussion and accurate information.
Amidst the Bangladesh turmoil, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of the ousted Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina, expressed gratitude to India for “saving her life” and accused the caretaker authorities of fostering “mob rule.”
Joy criticized the Mohammad Yunus-led interim government as “completely powerless” and claimed it consists of “figureheads.”
“Right now in Bangladesh, you have mob rule,” he told AFP in an interview from Washington. “If the mob tomorrow says, ‘no, we want this person in the interim government changed’, they will have to be changed,” he said.
Joy warned that without prompt elections, chaos would persist, reflecting on the recent high-profile removals of officials, including the chief justice and the central bank governor.
In parallel, Nahid Islam, the adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, announced that action will be taken against those responsible for the recent internet shutdowns during student protests.
Islam emphasized, “Access to the internet is a right and disrupting or shutting it down is a violation of human rights,” pledging that such shutdowns will no longer be tolerated. The frequent internet disruptions during protests against the Hasina government were criticized as a breach of rights.
Newly-appointed Inspector General of Police Md Mainul Islam reported that the recent student-led movement, which led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, resulted in significant casualties. He stated that at least 42 police officers were killed, over 500 injured, and many are still receiving treatment.
Sheikh Hasina, 76, quit as prime minister of Bangladesh after a student-led uprising and fled by helicopter to longtime ally India.
Her government was accused of widespread human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killing of thousands of her political opponents during her 15-year tenure.
The military announced her resignation and then agreed to student demands that Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, 84, lead a caretaker administration, charged with ending disorder and enacting democratic reforms.