At an iftar event in Dhaka, BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas voiced concerns over what he described as deliberate media bias against the party.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has claimed that certain forces are working behind the scenes to ensure the party meets the same fate as the Awami League, local media reported on Wednesday.
BNP, led by Khaleda Zia, rose to prominence as the largest political force in Bangladesh following the ousting of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government. However, BNP leaders now argue that an orchestrated campaign is being run to weaken the party’s standing while ignoring the actions of other political factions.
“Efforts are underway to ensure BNP suffers the same fate as the Awami League. Just observe—there is no positive coverage about BNP.”
- Mirza Abbas, BNP standing committee member
At an iftar event in Dhaka, BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas voiced concerns over what he described as deliberate media bias against the party. “Efforts are underway to ensure BNP suffers the same fate as the Awami League. Just observe—there is no positive coverage about BNP. Instead, the focus remains on alleged extortion, while no one talks about what Jamaat-e-Islami or others have done,” Abbas stated, as reported by local media.
This is not the first time Abbas has raised such allegations. Earlier this month, while addressing reporters in Dhaka, he accused sections of the media of exaggerating BNP-related issues while completely ignoring certain other parties. Without naming any specific group, he suggested that facts were being deliberately concealed to paint a distorted political narrative.
“No journalist or newspaper writes anything about a particular party. They remain silent on their activities. But when it comes to BNP, they amplify everything, often exaggerating and distorting the truth,” Abbas was quoted as saying by The Daily Star and Dhaka Tribune.
The allegations of bias and political conspiracy come at a time when BNP is facing significant internal and external challenges. BNP’s acting Chairman, Tarique Rahman, had last month accused Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of creating instability in the country.
“For some time now, we have been observing with concern that certain government officials are making conflicting statements about restoring people’s rights. This has only contributed to growing unrest in different regions,” Rahman stated at a political conference.
Adding to the uncertainty, BNP has also expressed doubts over whether national parliamentary elections, originally expected in December, will be held as planned. Party leaders suspect a “conspiracy” within the interim government to delay the polls, a move they believe is intended to weaken BNP’s influence.
Political tensions have been running high in Bangladesh since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in August 2024. The much-celebrated political unity that led to Hasina’s removal now appears to be unraveling, with several factions showing signs of internal rifts.
Over the past seven months, the country has faced significant turmoil, with several leaders who had once backed Yunus now openly criticising him. Amid these shifting political dynamics, BNP continues to assert that it is being subjected to a “conspiracy” and “media trial,” further fuelling the uncertainty surrounding Bangladesh’s political landscape.
