Bangladesh Government Rejects Misinformation Campaign by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
The Bangladesh interim government’s press wing has strongly condemned what it describes as a sustained misinformation campaign orchestrated by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, accusing him of spreading false narratives aimed at undermining the country’s democratic transition and tarnishing its image on the international stage. Choudhury, a controversial figure with a history of disseminating propaganda, recently published an article in The Intel Drop, an Iceland-based outlet, titled "Revenge of 1971: How Pakistan’s Deep State Seeks to Recolonize Bangladesh and Wage Proxy War on India." The article alleges a complex plot by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to destabilize Bangladesh and India by exploiting the marginalized Bihari community.
The government’s press wing categorically refutes Choudhury’s claims, labeling them as "entirely fictitious" and lacking any credible evidence. The article’s central narrative revolves around the assertion that the ISI is using Bihari refugee camps in Bangladesh as hubs for arms and drug trafficking, as well as for recruiting and training jihadists. Choudhury claims that thousands of Biharis have undergone training in Pakistan, forming a militant force that has carried out attacks within Bangladesh and is poised to infiltrate India to incite unrest. He further alleges that the ISI is deliberately infecting Bihari women with HIV and using them to spread the virus in India as part of a larger destabilization campaign.
The government’s statement dismantles these claims point by point, emphasizing the lack of any verifiable intelligence to support Choudhury’s accusations. It asserts that there is no evidence of ISI operations within Bangladesh or the weaponization of the Bihari community. The claim of thousands of Biharis being trained as militants is dismissed as unfounded, with no supporting reports or documented incidents. Furthermore, the narrative that the ISI controls Bangladesh and operates human trafficking networks into India is rejected as pure fabrication.
The government’s press wing highlights Choudhury’s history of spreading disinformation and his previous convictions for inciting interreligious discord and embezzlement, casting doubt on his credibility as a source. They accuse him of consistently targeting the interim government and attempting to obstruct the country’s progress towards democracy. The press wing specifically points to a pattern of propaganda articles published by The Intel Drop since August 5th, all of which depict Bangladesh as undergoing Talibanization under the interim government, aligning with the narrative of the deposed Awami League regime.
The government’s rebuttal emphasizes that while some Biharis may have participated in the July Movement protests, their involvement was as citizens, and there’s no evidence of systematic violence orchestrated by the community. The widespread violence during that period, the government maintains, was a result of the previous regime’s brutal crackdown, which led to numerous casualties and sparked public outrage. The press wing further challenges Choudhury’s assertions regarding human trafficking, stating that while isolated cases of illegal border crossings may occur, they are not part of an ISI-led conspiracy. Conversely, they point to reports by international organizations and media outlets like the BBC accusing India of pushing its citizens into Bangladesh.
The government’s statement concludes by condemning Choudhury’s sensationalist claim about the ISI deliberately infecting Bihari women with HIV, labeling it not only false but also absurd and devoid of any logical basis or documented cases. This, they argue, exemplifies the fabricated nature of Choudhury’s narrative and its malicious intent to undermine the interim government and disrupt Bangladesh’s democratic progress. The press wing calls for a critical assessment of Choudhury’s claims in light of his past record and the lack of supporting evidence, urging the public and international community to reject his disinformation campaign.