The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) today stated that it stands by its report that 640 journalists were attacked under Interim Government of Dr Mohammed Yunus from August 2024 to March 2025 and it denounced Chief Advisor’s Fact-Checking Unit as a “Disinformation Lab”.
The Chief Advisor’s Press Wing’s Facts today dismissed the allegations made by the RRAG, published in The Hindu, that Bangladesh’s interim government has targeted 640 journalists, as “wildly misleading piece of disinformation”.
“The figure of 640 journalists who came under attacks under the Interim Government from August 2024 to March 2025 was arrived at based on the statistics published by the Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) from Dhaka. The MSF in its “Annual Human Rights Monitoring Report December 2024” and monthly data for January-March 2025 stated that criminal cases were filed against 182 journalists while 206 journalists faced acts of violence and intimidation during the period. About 85 journalists being summoned by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) was reported in Bangladeshi media and the name of every journalist whose bank details were sought by the BFIU was given by the RRAG. In fact, the Daily Star reported on 3rd May 2025 that 266 journalists have faced criminal cases since 5 August 2024. Therefore, the attacks on 640 journalists given by the RRAG are actually lesser than the actual number of journalists attacked under Dr Yunus if The Daily Star report is to be relied upon. The denial by the CA Press Wing Facts is therefore nothing but Goebbels-speak.“– stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of the RRAG.
Responding to the claims of the CA Press Wing Facts that “it is entirely untrue that the Interim Government itself has targeted journalists”, the RRAG stated that “Nobel Peace Laureate Dr Muhammed Yunus does not understand basic legal mandate that a government whether Interim or regular is liable for commission and omission relating to human rights violations within the jurisdiction of a State i.e. Bangladesh. Apart from false prosecution of the journalists in various criminal cases including those filed by the Interim Government, the issuance of notices to 85 journalists by the BFIU is nothing but targeting of the journalists by Dr Yunus government itself.”
On insinuation against the RRAG reporting higher figures of death during September 2024 violence in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts, the RRAG stated, “Nine deaths were reported as per the unidentifiable dead bodies provided to it from the Khagrachari Hospital. On 26 September 2024, the Interim Government of Bangladesh constituted a seven-member inquiry committee headed by the Additional Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Mr Mohammad Nurullah Noori to inquire into the September 2024 violence in the CHTs and the committee was directed to submit the report within the next 14 working days. More than seven months later, the Interim Government has not released its own investigative report as on date because it wants to hide the truth including about the number of deaths and protect the culprits. Without releasing its own inquiry report, there must be an estoppel for the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing from commenting on the number of deaths relying on news reports. The Government must release its own investigative report first and then speak on the issue.”
On the claims of the Chief Advisor that RRAG simultaneously launched attacks on fact-checkers, undermining those who challenged its narratives, Mr Suhas Chakma stated, “The RRAG only urged the DismisLab to correctly reflect the truth in its report, From Four to a Hundred, as per the records, which it was forced to concede. These internal communications between the RRAG and the DismisLab should not be known to the CA Press Wing Facts. This establishes beyond any reasonable doubt that the DismisLab is an extension of the CA Press Wing Facts“.
On the accusation of the RRAG that Yunus downplays religiously motivated violence, Mr Chakma further stated, “Dr Yunus prior to any investigation by any agency whatsoever claimed on 5 September2024 stated that there is no clear distinction between Awami League supporters and Hindus regarding the attacks on the religious minorities in Bangladesh after the fall of Sheikh Hasina. If this is not downplaying religiously motivated violence, then what else is downplaying religiously motivated violence? A head of the government must speak based on the findings of investigation done by its own agencies and not based on figments of imagination or manufactured investigation reports”.
On further allegation of the CA Press Wing Facts that the RRAG is known to support the Awami League, the RRA stated that, “The RRAG as a human rights organisation questions the government of the day, in addition to addressing past violations, and the comments are malicious and tendentious. Dr Yunus is merely trying to hide behind the veil (burkha) of Sheikh Hasina. The world is increasingly realising that a Noble Laureate dictator Dr Mohammed Yunus (2006) had replaced UNESCO peace Prize recipient dictator Sheikh Hasina (1998). Dr Yunus has forgotten the basic premise that a government remains accountable for omissions and commissions, Sheikh Hasina is no longer in power, and he must establish accountability and bring an end to all human rights violations including against the media, which are also being raised by the Bangladeshi media prominently. ”
The latest statement of the Chief Advisor brings out the truth about the status of press freedom under Dr Yunus government and how Dr Yunus is not only denying the facts about actual status of the press freedom, indeed, denying the responsibility of the Interim Government on commissions and omissions relating to human rights violations.
In a separate communication, the RRAG urged the UN Secretary General, UK’s Indo-Pacific Minister, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, representatives of the diplomatic community and international organisations in Dhaka to take note of these incontrovertible facts. The RRAG further called for review of the bilateral agreements between the donor countries and the Interim Government on governance, human rights and rule of law issues.
