Press Secretary Questioned for Spreading Misinformation About British PM

Staff Reporter

The role of Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has sparked fresh controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s interim government chief advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s UK visit. The deliberate dissemination of misleading information directly involving UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer raises serious concerns—not just domestically but from an international relations perspective.

From the outset of the visit, Yunus-aligned propaganda machinery claimed Dr. Yunus would hold a “high-level meeting” with PM Starmer—a narrative spearheaded by his spokesperson Shafiqul Alam. This messaging, circulated across media, social platforms, and diplomatic circles, falsely framed the trip as part of an official state visit centered around “potential discussions” with the British leader.

However, a Financial Times investigation revealed the opposite truth. When journalists directly asked Dr. Yunus whether he had confirmation of any meeting with Starmer, he conceded—no such meeting was scheduled, nor had consent been obtained.

In damage control mode, Yunus’s spokesperson Shafiqul Alam then claimed the PM was “busy at the G7 summit in Canada” during the proposed time. In reality, Starmer remained in the UK with no international travel—exposing Shafiqul’s “false excuse” and triggering widespread condemnation online.

Analysts argue Dr. Yunus strategically deployed his press secretary to propagate this fiction, attempting to inflate his international standing and recast a private trip as a state visit. Beyond wasting taxpayer funds, this breached diplomatic decorum by falsely implicating a global leader (Starmer).

The central question now: How can an internationally recognized figure deliberately use his office’s spokesperson to spread untruths about another nation’s head of government? Is this political vengeance or a desperate bid to legitimize personal agendas?

Post-*FT* report, Yunus and his press office stand accused of orchestrating a dangerous “disinformation operation”—a development causing discomfort not just in Bangladesh but within British political circles.

This episode proves how high-ranking officials can exploit their positions to misuse state resources and international relations for personal gain—when accountability mechanisms fail.