The Bangladesh Army has rubbished British tabloid Daily Mirror’s report which claimed the rescue of Reshma Akter 17 days after the Rana Plaza collapse was ‘stage managed’.
It criticised local newspapers for running similar reports citing the tabloid.
Reshma was pulled out of the debris on May 10 after the nine-storey structure caved in on Apr 24.
Daily Mirror ran a report on Sunday claiming the rescue was ‘staged’. BNP-leaning vernacular daily Amar Desh’s online edition had run similar reports Jun 18.
Several newspapers carried reports based on the Daily Mirror report branding the rescue a ‘hoax’.
Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) issued a media statement protesting against such misleading reports.
The statement said the Daily Mirror’s ‘misleading report’ carried 50 days after the incident has hurt the rescuers. “It (the reports) has mischievously tried to question the sacrifice, integrity, and humanity of the rescuers.”
It said several national dailies ran ‘imprudent and inhumanely fictitious’ reports quoting a ‘confusing’ report, which, the ISPR said, was ‘unexpected as well as undesired’ from the responsible news media.
The army had led the rescue efforts after the Rana Plaza collapsed in Savar. The building housed five readymade garment units.
Over 1,100 people, mostly readymade garment workers, had died and thousands of others were injured from the worst case of structural failure in Bangladesh.
ISPR has said many local and foreign journalists were present at the site during Reshma’s rescue. She, too, had told journalists about her experience under the rubble.
They fear these ‘confusing and misleading’ reports might risk Reshma’s psychological health.
Simon Wright ran the report for the Daily Mirror.
He was arrested during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
According to the Guardian and Huffington Post reports, Wright had endangered the players’ safety by leading a supporter into the dressing room.
Wright reportedly admitted to harbouring and interviewing him at a time when the police were looking to arrest that fan. He also allegedly booked hotel accommodation for England fan Pavlos Josep using false or incorrect particulars.
Source: Bd news24