Special Correspondent :
Recent remarks by Hasnat Abdullah, a leading figure of the July Movement and chief organizer of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in the southern region, have sparked widespread debate among the cross section of people as he labeled Bashundhara Group a “media mafia.”
His comments have drawn both condemnation and support, highlighting deepening tensions between sections of the media and political movements born out of the July uprising.
In an official statement issued Monday, the National Press Club of Bangladesh expressed grave concern, terming Abdullah’s comments a “threat to the media.” President Hasan Hafiz and General Secretary Ayub Bhuiyan said such rhetoric contradicts the ideals of the July uprising, which stood for press freedom and the right to free expression. They further stated that legal avenues, such as the Press Council and judiciary, are the proper channels for resolving grievances with media houses-not public threats.
The Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) and Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) echoed the sentiment, warning that inflammatory statements undermine efforts to maintain a democratic and independent press environment.
However, Hasnat Abdullah defended his position in a strongly worded Facebook post, claiming that his criticisms were directed solely at Bashundhara Group’s media practices, not at the press as a whole. He accused certain journalists of misrepresenting his statement to portray it as an attack on media freedom.
He wrote, “Calling out the Bashundhara mafia for their disinformation campaigns against the leaders of the uprising is being twisted into an assault on the press. I have never threatened independent journalism – I advocate for it.”
Abdullah referred to Bashundhara Group as a “land-grabbing, murder-accused, media mafia” and alleged that the conglomerate has been running a campaign of “disinformation and hate” against the youth leaders of the August 5 uprising.
He criticized media platforms under the group for giving voice to “intellectual foot soldiers of fallen fascists,” suggesting they are helping rehabilitate the very powers that the July-August protests sought to dismantle.
Social media reactions have been divided. Some journalists and commentators criticized the press bodies for issuing statements they view those as biased in favor of corporate interests.
M. Abdullah, Managing Director of the Bangladesh Journalists’ Welfare Trust, wrote on Facebook: “They’ve squeezed out service from bought puppets. Two historic organizations and one institution have lost their dignity. Shameful.”
Many others have echoed similar views, arguing that siding with what they call a “media mafia” undermines the sacrifices made during the July protests.
In contrast, the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) has refrained from making any formal statement. Its General Secretary, Mynul Hasan Sohel, told The New Nation that DRU is a non-political organization and that no member working in Bashundhara media has reported facing direct consequences from Abdullah’s comments. “We see this as a political issue, and we have chosen not to issue a statement at this time,” he said.
Abdullah also criticized journalists who were previously aligned with the pro-democracy cause but now work for Bashundhara Group, accusing them of betraying the spirit of the movement in exchange for job security and financial incentives.
In his concluding remarks, Abdullah emphasized that his fight is against what he termed the “cultural and intellectual machinery of fallen fascists,” and urged all media workers to resist becoming tools of oppressive powers.
As public discourse continues to simmer, the debate raises broader questions about media ownership, press independence, and the fine line between criticism and threat in Bangladesh’s post-uprising political climate.
