Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday made a scathing attack on the editors of English-language daily The Daily Star and Bangla daily Prothom Alo, alleging that the newspapers have been spreading calumny against her for the last two decades.
“The newspapers continued to write against me, spread calumny against me throughout my political career in the last 20 years as if Awami League is their enemy.”
The prime minister brought the accusation while speaking at a discussion on International Mother Language Day organised by Bangladesh Awami League at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.
Coming down heavily on The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam for publishing DGFI-fed reports during the army-led caretaker government, prime minister Sheikh Hasina said Mahfuz should have quit (as the editor) after his confession if he has a little bit self-dignity, reports UNB news agency.
“This editor has confessed to making a mistake by publishing those DGFI-supplied reports, but people, Awami League leaders and activists, the business community, students and teachers and me and my family had paid the price for that mistake. Why didn’t he show the courage by resigning? If he has the guts then he should resign,” she said.
The premier wanted to know why those news items provided by the DGFI were published.
“A newspaper like The Daily Star should carry the news as supplied by the DGFI? Who is that mad there to believe that? The Daily Star is much choosy about English. It proves that DGFI people are more knowledgeable than The Daily Star,” she wondered.
Hasina recalled a recent incident in the BBC which carried false news items on British members of parliaments and ministers. “When the report was found false, the BBC offered apology and the people involved in that story all resigned,” she said.
Hasina said what the editor has so far written with the pretence of honesty all are fraudulences and untrue which were aimed at destroying the country.
Hasina said the truth cannot be hidden long as it will ultimately surface. “The Daily Star editor’s original face has got exposed,” she said.
In the wake of the recent confession of The Daily Star editor, the PM asked some questions – “What is fearless journalism? What was his relationship with DGFI men Brig Amin and Bari? Was he sold out to them and for that he published all what they supplied! Were the two editors involved in the conspiracy of the minus-two formula? “Which one is true? If you have the courage then admit!”
But she mentioned neither the name of another editor nor that of another other than the Daily Star editor.
In a recent talk-show, Mahfuz Anam admitted that running reports on Awami League president Sheikh Hasina based on information provided by DGFI without any scrutiny was his biggest mistake in his editorial judgement.
Source: Prothom Alo
