Bangladesh's interim leader accuses Indian media of spreading ‘disinformation'
The chief adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, has accused Indian media of 'spreading false and misleading propaganda' regarding an alleged rift between his administration and the military.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Yunus called the media reports 'wholly inaccurate and irresponsible.'
'These articles are part of a coordinated disinformation campaign propagated by segments of the Indian right-wing media aiming to delegitimize Bangladesh's transitional leadership,' he wrote.
Recently, several Indian mainstream media outlets have been persistently spreading false and misleading propaganda involving the Bangladesh Army and the Chief Advisor of the interim government. This disinformation campaign has also proliferated widely on social media platforms,… pic.twitter.com/IpTkVrQ2kW
The interim government headed by Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, came to power in August last year after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign following weeks of violent protests. Hasina has resided in India since then.
While Yunus accused Indian media of spreading 'disinformation,' speculation about a growing rift between him and the military, as well as political parties in the country, was initially published by Bangladeshi media and international outlets. The reports suggest there is discontent over a delay in holding elections. Yunus has repeatedly said that elections will be held in 2026, as the country needs reforms first.
Tensions between the interim administration reportedly intensified last week. According to a report by the Daily Star, General Waker told a high-level gathering at Dhaka Cantonment that 'Bangladesh needs political stability. This is only possible through an elected government, not by unelected decision-makers.'
The military also reportedly opposes the interim government's pursuit of a UN-backed initiative to facilitate a humanitarian corridor into Myanmar's Rakhine State before holding elections. 'There will be no corridor. The sovereignty of Bangladesh is not negotiable,' Waker was quoted by the newspaper as saying. 'Only a political government elected by the people can make such decisions,' he said.
The project, according to Bangladeshi commentators, could undermine Bangladesh's security and sovereignty, and has been questioned by residents of regions bordering Myanmar.
On April 27, Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain announced that Bangladesh had agreed in principle to support the corridor, contingent on certain conditions being met. The project was reportedly discussed by Yunus and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March, when Guterres visited Dhaka.
This week, however, Yunus and the military leadership issued a series of statements refuting any 'conflict' between them. 'The government and the Bangladesh Army are working in close coordination and complementing each other. We follow the government's directives. There is no reason to interpret it otherwise,' the director of the Military Operations Directorate, Brig. Gen. Md Nazim-ud-Daula said on Monday, according to the Daily Star.
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