‘I tore up a false narrative’: Rashed Khan explains tearing Amar Desh, raises funding allegations
Photo: Collected
Md Rashed Khan, political assistant to the prime minister (with the rank of secretary), has raised strong allegations about the funding of the daily ‘Amar Desh’, the role of its editor Mahmudur Rahman and the objectivity of the paper’s news.
In a status and a video message on his verified Facebook page, he claimed that the report linking him to Sajeeb Wazed Joy was in fact a ‘false narrative’. He said he tore up the newspaper to protest against that report.
Leaders of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) have strongly criticised this act of protest by publicly tearing up a newspaper.
In the status, Rashed Khan alleged that editor Mahmudur Rahman had banned the publication of his statements in ‘Amar Desh’ during the interim government.
He further claimed that he had found out through investigation that ‘Amar Desh’ is running on ‘funding from the company of an office-bearing Awami League leader, big businessman and dummy MP’.
Rashed Khan wrote, ‘At first, I was surprised and sent pictures and evidence to Mahmudur Rahman on WhatsApp. He avoided the matter. I texted him repeatedly and sent evidence, but he avoided the matter completely and stopped receiving my calls.’
According to Rashed Khan, a responsible person at the newspaper told him that the matter was being avoided ‘in the interest of running the newspaper’.
Explaining why he tore up the newspaper, he said, ‘I tore up a false narrative. I tore up the untruth that “Amar Desh” spread, falsely claiming that I had joined hands with Hasina’s son (Sajeeb Wazed Joy).’
Rashed Khan also said he did not do it in a live video. In his words, he delivered his protest through a formal video message.
Rashed Khan claimed that the disinformation about his links with Sajeeb Wazed Joy was spread in a planned way to divert attention from the allegation that Jamaat leader Mia Golam Parwar met an Indian intelligence officer.
Leaders of other political parties and organisations did not take kindly to someone in a responsible post such as the prime minister’s assistant tearing up a newspaper. Top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP strongly opposed and criticised his conduct.
However, no immediate comment or formal response on the allegations could be obtained from the authorities of the daily ‘Amar Desh’ or its editor Mahmudur Rahman.
Sources
Original report: Ajker Patrika
