Arrest Over Protest at New York Consulate Sparks Allegations of Orchestrated False Media Reporting

Special Correspondent

While leading newspapers reported the arrest of Mahfuz Alam, an information advisor at the Bangladesh Consulate in New York, the claims of a ‘mass arrest’ circulating on social media are baseless, said Asif Haque, a Bangladeshi-American intelligence officer working in the United States.

This news has raised allegations of media manipulation in political and journalistic circles, which has called into question the role of the interim government’s press wing.

Golam Mortuza, Press Minister of the Bangladesh Embassy in the United States, said on Friday (September 19) that several people have been arrested so far in connection with the attack on Mahfuz Alam at the New York Consulate on August 24.

He said US authorities have not released exact numbers as the investigation is ongoing, but multiple people have been arrested.

This news was published in the country’s leading newspapers – such as The Business Standard, Dhaka Tribune, The Daily Star – in the same way, which was supplied by the press wing, sources said.

But the news of this ‘arrest’ has raised doubts on the eve of the visit of the chief advisor Dr. Yunus to the United States. Many in political circles believe that this is a ‘scripted’ propaganda, so that possible protests against Dr. Yunus’ presence in New York can be prevented.

Asif Haque has commented that the posts about ‘mass arrests’ spread on social media by Awami League leaders and activists are baseless.

He said, “There was no mass arrest. The posts being circulated are rumors and misleading—refrain from provocative content. The person who was detained during the protest in front of the New York Consulate has been released later. According to the US Constitution, peaceful protest is everyone’s right—it is also a human right.”

There have also been allegations of media manipulation in this incident. Journalists are saying that the ‘fabricated’ information from the press wing is being published in the same way in all newspapers, which has no shred of authenticity.

Currently, the press wing of the chief advisor is ‘nasty’ in creating news and spreading propaganda, and the media is serving it. Journalist organizations have expressed concern about this role of the media, known as the ‘fifth power’ of the state.

Meanwhile, the attacks on Mahfuz Alam continue. On September 12, while he was returning from a program at SWAS University in London, Awami League supporters threw eggs at the High Commission’s vehicle. The Yunus government has also condemned this incident and demanded an investigation.

Political analysts say that such incidents and ‘scripted’ news in the media are further complicating the country’s interim politics. The media manipulation attempts to cover up the public resistance and failures prove that the interim government is losing public support, and the press wing of the chief advisor is trying hard to cover it up.