Over the past two years, we have consistently saying that the Awami League (AL) is poised for a landslide victory. We have also emphasized that failure to participate in the political process could lead to the party’s extinction. Furthermore, we have observed that despite the BNP-Jamaat alliance investing millions, these efforts are futile and unlikely to secure them power through constitutional means.
For some time now, we have been uncovering the activities of individuals such as Mushfiqul Fazal Ansary, Zukarnain Saer Khan (also known as Sami), Colonel Shahid Uddin Khan, Tarique Rahman, Mawlana Mohammad Abed Ali, and Professor Muhammad Yunus, among others. These figures have engaged in a sustained campaign of propaganda against The Eastern Herald seemingly unaware of the high esteem in which these publications are held.
We are aware that these Western NGOs are no angels. Human Rights Watch (HRW), for instance, has been documented as receiving millions of dollars, in exchange for trading into “Human Rights” – a concept that has become a lucrative commodity for many NGOs in recent times. Unfortunately, a large segment of Western policy makers are banking on opinions and statements issued by these NGOs considering those as Gospel truth.
The Daily Star, a prominent Bangladeshi newspaper, mirrors the traits of certain Western NGOs known for trading their editorial policy. There are rumors suggesting that it is funded by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), a separatist organization in Northeast India. This newspaper meticulously promotes anti-India sentiment alongside pro-Islamist and anti-semite notions with the vicious agenda of turning Bangladesh into a century of destructive forces and anti-Hindu elements.
On January 11, 2007, Bangladesh witnessed a significant political shift when a military-backed interim government seized power, leading to the imprisonment of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. During this tumultuous period, The Daily Star and its sister publication, Prothom Alo, appeared to enthusiastically support the military-backed government’s actions. They seemed to advocate for the political demise of both the Awami League and the BNP, while promoting the controversial “Nobel Laureate”, Professor Muhammad Yunus, as a potential head of the government.
In the United States, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, operating from Washington DC, was fervently advancing her own agenda to see Bangladesh governed by her close associate and significant donor, Professor Yunus. Her efforts were echoed by her colleagues, including John Danilovich, who actively pursued similar objectives.
This alignment with a military-backed regime, particularly in its efforts to undermine Bangladesh’s two major political parties, cast The Daily Star and its editor as figures opposed to democratic principles and supportive of authoritarian rule. Now, the same publication and its editor, Mahfuz Anam, are frequently found delivering lectures on democracy and human rights. This stance strikes as a profound irony, considering their past actions. It is viewed by readers, supporters, and international observers, including those in Western missions in Dhaka, as a stark contradiction and a mockery of the values they now claim to uphold.
Over recent years, Mahfuz Anam has persistently endeavored to depict the Bangladesh Nationalist Party as a defender of democracy through various dubious means. Despite his status as a freedom fighter, with his contribution to Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence primarily as a translator, Anam has both overtly and subtly commended Jamaat-e-Islami. This is particularly notable given that Jamaat-e-Islami was vehemently against Bangladesh’s struggle for independence.
As Bangladesh approaches its next general election, slated for January 2024, the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, is widely expected to secure a landslide victory. It is well anticipated that elements such as the Daily Star, Prothom Alo, and BNP-Jamaat’s media brigades in Bangladesh and the Western nations shall relaunch their dangerous efforts targeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League with the rogue agenda of turning Bangladesh into a neo-Taliban state.
The period following January 7, 2024, shall be far more challenging for Bangladesh and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. These groups will return with fresher conspiracy of destabilizing Bangladesh. There will be more money poured into the political gambling tables of BNP-Jamaat and anti-Bangladesh forces including the United States, Western NGOs, lobbyists, PR Firms, and even mercenaries.
Furthermore, there are concerns that international terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) might be solicited by Tarique Rahman, a controversial, convicted “feared figure”, reboot their plots targeting Bangladesh and its neighbor, India.
The Eastern Herald is regularly being quoted by major global news outlets including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Hill, Washington Times, New York Times, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Fox News, Huffington Post, Daily Mail UK, Reuters, Sunday Times, Russian RT, Russian Pravda, Euro News, Hindustan Times, Outlook Magazine, The Business Standard, India Today, Times of India, Zee News, Republic TV, Ananda Bazar Patrika, Indian Express, NDTV, The Hindu, Tribune, Pioneer, Arutzseva, Jerusalem Post, The Jerusalem Report, The Organiser, Bangkok Post, Straits Times, Voice of America, and Taiwan News etcetera.
In those difficult times, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina shall require international media outlets such as The Eastern Herald as her time-tested allies. And We shall be delightedly helping her in saving Bangladesh from falling victim of local and international conspiracy.
