Northeast News, an Indian website notorious for its consistent anti-Bangladesh stance, has once again peddled fabricated narratives against Bangladesh. The portal, widely regarded as operating in the interest of India’s RAW and now functioning as a paid propaganda arm of the Awami League, continues its smear campaign against the July–August 2024 mass uprising.
Enayet Kabir (believed by many to be a pseudonym or close associate of Chandan Nandi) has claimed in a recent article that “senior Bangladeshi army officers trapped NTMC chief Major General Ziaul Ahsan.” This is a completely fabricated and malicious story designed to distort facts and undermine Bangladesh’s democratic transition.
Accountability, Not a ‘Trap’
Major General Ziaul Ahsan was one of the most controversial figures of the Sheikh Hasina era. He served for years in the intelligence wing of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a force widely accused of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture. Later, as head of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), he occupied one of the most sensitive surveillance positions in the country.
Following the fall of the Hasina regime on August 6, 2024, he was forced into retirement and subsequently arrested on serious charges including murder, enforced disappearance, and corruption. This is not a “trap” or a conspiracy to seize phone recordings. It is simply a process of accountability for alleged grave crimes committed during the previous authoritarian rule.
July 2024: A Mass Uprising, Not an Army Coup
The July–August 2024 mass uprising claimed over 1,400 lives, with thousands more injured and permanently disabled. According to UN reports, the majority of those killed died from gunfire by state forces — police, RAB, ruling party activists, and alleged snipers.
This was not merely a student movement. It was a full-scale people’s uprising against a regime that had turned its weapons against its own citizens. The Hasina government unleashed unprecedented repression, with credible allegations of external support in the brutal crackdown.
The Bangladesh Army did not participate in the mass killing. Senior officers, including Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, reportedly refused to issue orders for lethal force against unarmed civilians. As a result, Hasina was forced to flee the country, and Bangladesh was saved from what could have become a full-blown civil war.
Instead, the army:
- Protected police stations from mob attacks
- Provided shelter to police personnel inside cantonments
- Helped prevent the situation from escalating into nationwide armed conflict
This is the undeniable reality.
What the Awami League Is Doing Now
The Awami League, under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, is now desperately trying to whitewash 15 years of alleged authoritarianism, corruption, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and political repression. With alleged backing from external actors, they are aggressively pushing conspiracy theories to reframe the July uprising as an “army coup,” a “militant agenda,” or a “foreign plot.”
Outlets like Northeast News are actively serving this propaganda machinery. Their clear objective is to delegitimize the sacrifices of the Bangladeshi people and portray the popular uprising as illegitimate.
The Jamaat–NCP Factor
At the same time, overstatements and unnecessary political posturing by groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) are providing the Awami League with ammunition to push the “Islamist/militant agenda” narrative. Such actions only strengthen the hands of the anti-July forces and their propaganda network.
The Way Forward
This is the time for all patriotic forces to unite against the remnants of authoritarianism and disinformation.
Those who truly respect the martyrs of July–August 2024 must stand firmly together.
July 2024 was a people’s uprising. The Bangladesh Army stood with the people and helped prevent a national catastrophe. Holding figures like Major General Ziaul Ahsan accountable is not a conspiracy — it is a necessary step toward justice and reform.
Reject the propaganda of Northeast News. Honor the blood of the martyrs. Stand united against authoritarianism and foreign-backed disinformation.
Northeast News has long positioned itself as an anti-Bangladesh platform, consistently working against Bangladesh’s sovereignty and national interest while advancing RAW’s agenda and now openly serving as a mouthpiece for the fallen Awami League regime. It is high time such paid propaganda outlets are exposed and their malicious narratives countered with facts and truth.