The inclusion and introduction of controversial columnist turned self-exiled activist Tasneem Khalil as an independent journalist at a panel discussion on the human rights situation in Bangladesh at the European Parliament in Brussels have raised questions over the motive of holding such an event.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Belgium and Head of Mission to the European Union, Mahbub Hassan Saleh, addressed what he called “a wave of disinformation campaign” over rights issues during the “Briefing on the Human Rights Situation in Bangladesh” at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The session was hosted by Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Member of the European Parliament, with participation of Michael Polak, a barrister and lawyer for victims of enforced disappearances, human rights expert Abbas Faiz, Ambassador Saleh, and Tasneem Khalil, editor in chief of Netra News.
Tasneem Khalil works closely with David Bergman who is the son-in-law of key opposition leader Dr Kamal Hossain.
In a blatant show of defending the opposition alliance, Khalil, in his speech, made serious distortion of facts, and half-truths as he observed that “normal situation in human rights” existed until return of elected Awami League led government in 2009 while the last regime of Begum Zia led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) between 2001 and 2006 was described as “a reign of terror” by highly acclaimed investigative journalist including Bertil Litner and others.
The said regime of BNP Jamaat witnessed unprecedented surge in terror activities with a US cable, written by the country’s former ambassador to Bangladesh James Moriarty, deemed Tarique Rahman as “symbol of violent politics”.
From rise of Al Qeada inspired terror groups to targeted attacks on minorities to physical liquidation of then opposition party AL’s secular leaders to assassination attempt on then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina among other terrorist activities featured heavily in media reports.
The introduction of Khalil’s outlet “Netra News” as a work of “independent reportage” appeared as a travesty of truth given the outlet’s top boss Bergman is clearly driven by his father-in-law’s political agenda, let alone the recent case of tax dodging hovering over his father in law for securing hefty amount of money through his law firm also owned some part by his wife.
In 2018, Dr Kamal, emerged as the key opposition face in pursuit of “overthrowing” Sheikh Hasina led government, allied with Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, a party consisted of war criminals who sided with the Pakistani Army to stop the birth of the youngest nation in South Asia in 1971.
With an outright bias towards BNP led regime, Khalil introduced his work as an “independent reportage”, conveniently ignoring the identity of his editor David Bergman and Bergman’s father in law but several leading academics and journalists earlier pointed him as an “agenda driven writer who peddled a host of smears against this very regime”.
Millions will die in Covid, health sector will witness a complete breakdown, Sheikh Hasina would never be able to ensure vaccines for her people, Bangladesh will become a worst performing nation in Covid management, are some instances among a litany of doomsday projection by Khalil and his editor Bergman publicised through their outlet Netra at the outbreak of Covid.
In reality, Bangladesh ranked one of the top performing nations with lower causality and at the same time achieved high vaccination rate despite not being a vaccine producing nation.
On the human rights front, whatever Khalil told before the audience clearly falls apart from reality, as his outlet has been exposed earlier by regional and national outlets for glorifying the narrative of dreaded militants, and working as a PR blitz of the opposition party that holds little truth instead of any serious work of journalism.
Khalil in his speech attempted to glorify the works of a former BNP-Jamaat appointed deputy attorney general Adilur Rahman Shuvro, who headed a non government organization Odhikar that recently lost registration for non-compliance. But in reality Odhikar, according to the country's top English outlets and international news outlets, has been exposed for blowing up the causality toll after rabidly radical elements of different parties were evicted from streets back in 2013.
The causality list of Odhikar even altered the geography only to be later revealed by independent investigations, with eminent rights activists terming the organisations as a “political tool under the façade of rights bodies”.
However, Khalil, without pointing to the shadowy record of Odhikar, defended Odhikar as a “flag bearer of rights bodies”, ignoring the allegations of non-compliance raised against Odhikar.
While Khalil brought reference of an earlier error ridden story only based on accounts of a former army officer to claim existence of a torture cell, he deliberately avoided mentioning the shadowy past of that officer, apparently to make his narrative look credible.
A number of news reports, already exposed Hasinur Rahman, has been court martialed for covertly maintaining close ties with militants, alleged involvement of cross fire during his service back in BNP Jamaat regime (2001 to 2006).
Moreover, Khalil’s defence for a list of 609 people described as victim of enforced disappearance, also rang hollow as independent media reports, already revealed another list of 76 people that UN handed over to the country as victim of enforced disappearance, had been replete with errors as names of Indian insurgents also appeared on the list who are now living with their families after serving jail terms in the neighbouring country with their family.
The opposition party, also holds a history of faking cases of human rights as in 2014 a report by the country’s top English daily clearly exposed how the party chief raised false allegations over high death figures at the hands of law enforcers. Titled as “Sorry Khaleda”, the report exposed claims that are not supported by facts on the ground.
The Daily Star investigated the high death figures in nine districts presented by the BNP chief, and found them incorrect, exaggerated and false.
Even BNP recently drew widespread condemnation after the party leaders launched filthy attacks on noted rights activist Sultana Kamal as she commented about BNP's record faking cases of rights issues.
Another key feature that revealed the highly “autocratic mentality” of Khalil was his attempt to put “regime friendly” tags on the country's private television channels.
“So if you only echo his view, regardless of authenticity, you are independent but if you take a lead from his story and dig deep to unearth facts that runs against that of Khalil, then you will be branded as regime friendly—And his naivety to level us as regime friendly before such a big audience clearly proves his immature autocratic mentality”, said a journalist.
Bergman, editor of Netra News, also holds a sordid record, his stint in Bangladesh was marked by “demeaning the war crimes'', earned him a tag on “advocate for war criminals”, on top of that his reportage clearly mirrors the political ambition of his father in law.
“Recent rants of Khalil and Bergman against the current regime may have been driven by the agenda to serve Bergman’s father in law as Dr Kamal and Bergman’s wife have been found guilty of evading their taxes earned through rendering legal services through their law firm.
Titled as “Briefing on human rights situation in Bangladesh”, the session was hosted by Fabio Massimo Castadlo, with participation of Michale Polak, a barrister and lawyear for victims of enforced disappearances, another rights expert Abbas Fiaz and Mahbub Hassan Saleh, Bangladesh’s ambassador to Brussels among others, in addition to Khalil.
Even BNP drew widespread condemnation after the party leaders launched filthy attacks on noted rights activist Sultana Kamal as she commented about BNP's record faking cases of rights issues.
In response to the speech of Bangladesh’s ambassador, Khalil admitted himself “he was abducted and tortured when the country was ruled by the military backed caretaker government back in 2007 and larger part of 2008”. Interestingly Khalil during his speech did not mention this fact.
Debunking these allegations, Mahbub Hassan revealed the biased record of Odhikar, and elaborated on the “gruesome record of rights abuses perpetrated during the BNP Jamaat regime”.
