Government grateful for global support amid widespread propaganda and disinformation: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The government assured all international partners that the overall situation is returning to normal thanks to the timely and appropriate measures taken by the government and the public.

“The government remains grateful to the international community for its overwhelming support and understanding, especially in the face of widespread propaganda, disinformation and false information,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on the recent situation in Bangladesh.

The exact death toll from recent acts of violence and terrorism is becoming known, and the government is estimating the tragic loss of life, deaths and damage to public property, the government said.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said today that according to available information, the death toll has risen to 147.

The government has established contact with the families of the deceased, and the Prime Minister herself assured that she will bring them justice and compensate them for their losses.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is personally monitoring the treatment and rehabilitation of the injured. She also assured that the families of the deceased will be provided with the means of subsistence.

The Government of Bangladesh has taken note of the concerns expressed by some international partners, including civil society organisations and media, regarding the recent incidents of violence and terrorist acts in Bangladesh, MoFA said.

“In this regard, the government intends to work constructively with international partners to advance its efforts to build a peaceful, just and inclusive society that offers young people the opportunity to express their views and fulfil their potential in a safe and secure environment,” the statement said.

The Government remains sensitive to the need to address the traumatic experiences of victims and their families.

“It is now evident that a group of well-established individuals led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and their student wing (Islami Chhatra Shibir) have hijacked the largely peaceful quota reform movement among a section of university students to unleash a reign of terror, anarchy and chaos,” MoFA said.

They have also managed to enlist the support of several violent extremist groups and take control of the student movement in order to implement their recurring agenda of overthrowing the democratically elected government by disrupting public life and bringing the economy to a halt.

The same interest group is now continuing its disinformation campaign, both locally and internationally, to portray lawful measures and responses by security and law enforcement agencies to terrorist activities as “repression of student protests,” MoFA said.

Such a distorted projection has become widespread even as concerned student leaders of the quota reform movement have publicly stated that they are distancing themselves from the terrorist activities led by the BNP-Jamaat.

The government appealed to the international community not to confuse the student movement with subsequent terrorist activities, which necessitated the legal deployment of armed forces in support of civilian authorities and the imposition of curfews in certain places at certain times in order to save lives and property.

In fact, as stated by MoFA, student protests continued peacefully for several weeks following the Supreme Court’s ruling on 5 June 2024, which restored the public service quota system, which had been abolished by the government itself in 2018 in response to the previous wave of student protests.

On the express orders of the government, university authorities and law enforcement agencies ensured that protesting students could fully exercise their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech this time as well.

The government has also made it easier for students to submit a protest note to the president during this period.

The government has made it clear from the beginning that its position on the quota reform is largely consistent with the position of the protesting students.

He also filed an appeal to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking the reversal of the judgment of the Supreme Court Division and assured the students that appropriate action would be taken as soon as the Appellate Division issues a ruling in the matter.

The Prime Minister then appointed a ministerial commission to meet with the coordinators of the student movement to discuss their demands.

Therefore, on the basis of the guidelines issued by the Court of Appeal in its judgment of 21 July, an Official Journal on the reformed quota system was issued on 23 July.

The reformed quota system went beyond the original demands of the protesting students and thus adequately addressed the root cause of their migration.

Unfortunately, despite repeated assurances of appropriate action by the Honourable Prime Minister in his televised address on July 17, the BNP-Jamaat coalition incited unrest and violence among a section of the student community by provoking inflammatory rhetoric and slogans, including distorting the words of the Prime Minister at a press conference (July 14), MoFA informed.

The situation soon spiraled out of control for the protesting students and escalated to unprecedented levels of violence, anarchy and cruelty that can only be described as terrorist acts.

This resulted in tragic and glaring human losses, including among youth and minors.

As stated in the statement, it is now known that the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks were assured of a “reward” for killing law enforcement officers and people associated with the ruling party.

Planned attacks were carried out on a number of Key Point installations and other public facilities, notably metro stations and flyovers; health facilities; disaster management offices; national broadcasting facilities such as the Bangladesh Television headquarters; fire trucks; and digital communications, including the national data centre, central broadband infrastructure and fibre-optic networks.

The deliberate break-in at a high-security prison and the release of nine convicted militants was part of an attempt to reverse decades of progress in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

The Government remains committed to holding to account, through appropriate investigation, all those responsible for any student deaths and subsequent terrorist acts including murder, arson, vandalism, subversion and sabotage.

A commission of inquiry headed by a Supreme Court judge, appointed on July 18, has already begun work to this end.

In addition, a number of appropriate investigations are underway to establish responsibility for relevant acts of killing and violence, including any cases of negligence.

The Government assures that appropriate legal provisions will be followed to ensure accountability and justice for perpetrators of reported terrorist acts.

Law enforcement agencies have been given clear instructions to hold accountable those who provide evidence of their involvement in alleged terrorist acts, without taking any retaliatory action or harassment against student protesters and innocent civilians.

The political authorities remain vigilant to ensure that law enforcement agencies continue to act in accordance with the law and to prevent any possibility of abuse or misconduct in all circumstances.

In the face of the continued spread of disinformation and misinformation, especially on social media, the Government has drawn the attention of the international community to the following issues.

First, there is no basis for equating the largely peaceful student movement focused on specific issues with the terrorist acts committed by the BNP-Jamaat coalition against the state.

Two: The Government emphasizes that all acts of murder and terrorist acts will be dealt with through impartial and objective investigations to identify those responsible, regardless of their connections.

Third: There has been no recorded incident of “shooting on the spot” by security forces in support of civilian forces deployed following terrorist acts.

Four: There have been no recorded incidents of helicopters firing during law enforcement operations, except for surveillance purposes, rescuing stranded officers, and allowing fire trucks to pass in emergency situations.

Five: There was no other motive for the accidental deployment of the single white APC, which still had the UN insignia visible through the coloured coating used to cover it. While the APC in question was quickly withdrawn from service, other photos of law enforcement APCs using UN insignia had no evidential basis.

Six: Broadband and mobile internet connectivity has now been restored with full functionality. Other forms of communication, including landline and mobile telecommunications, have been operating throughout the period of unrest and violence.

Seven: It should be noted that the print and electronic media continued to operate without disruption, with the exception of media personnel and other emergency services operating during curfew hours.

The government will defend and will continue to defend people’s right to freedom of speech and opinion at all costs.

In conclusion, MoFA stated that the Government of Bangladesh will continue to work with the entire society to deal with the unprecedented loss and damage caused by unauthorized persons.