Indo-Bangla Journalists Forum Urges Media to Avoid Circulating Fake News on Minority Attacks

PR, KalimNews, Dhaka, 8 August 2024: The Indo-Bangla Journalists Forum (IBJF) has expressed serious concern over the spread of fake and exaggerated news in certain sections of the media, particularly on social media and digital platforms in both India and Bangladesh, regarding attacks on minorities following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and the consequent fall of the Awami League government in Bangladesh.

A section of the media has been circulating morphed photographs and false reports of violent attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus, who make up around 8% of the country's population. This misinformation has led to communal tensions in various parts of India.

While it is true that some radical anti-social elements in Bangladesh have attempted to exploit the transitional period after the ousted Prime Minister fled the country by attacking minorities and their places of worship, these incidents have been firmly resisted by student leaders who spearheaded the agitation against the Hasina government, along with conscientious citizens of Bangladesh.

IBJF President and former member of the Press Council of India, Geetartha Pathak, along with General Secretary Khairujjaman Kamal, stated that all forms of media should refrain from circulating unverified news, which could escalate social tensions and deepen divisions within society along religious lines. "Changes in governance can occur at any time, but they should not affect social harmony, national integrity, or the diverse fabric of society," the IBJF said in a press release.

The statement emphasized that issues such as job quotas, rising unemployment, price hikes, corruption in governance, and economic mismanagement affect everyone, regardless of their religious, caste, cultural, or economic identity. If the people of Bangladesh wish to resolve these problems through mass mobilization and a change in leadership, they have the right to do so in a democratic and non-violent manner.

The IBJF also called on the new government, which is currently in formation, to ensure the safety and security of the lives and property of minorities in the country. Additionally, the IBJF urged the new government to guarantee the safety of journalists and to provide fair compensation to the families of journalists killed during the student movement against job quotas.