Radicals in India will be assisted by the growth of Islamic extremism in Bangladesh: Nahid Islam

Information adviser to the interim administration Nahid Islam claimed that “propaganda” had been spread about the huge revolt in Bangladesh, citing two Indian media sites.

He believes that the radicals in India will benefit from the development of Islamic radicalism in Bangladesh, and this kind of propaganda may be used.

Speaking on Sunday at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in South Asia, Nahid Islam denounced and expressed disapproval of reports that appeared in two Indian media outlets concerning Mahfuj Alam, the special assistant to chief adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

Speaking about the several forms of negative propaganda that are being spread, Nahid Islam stated, “You have noticed lately that a scandal is being made about one of our movement’s key figures, Mahfuj Alam. Without offering any proof, the Indian publication Economic Times called him a member of Hizb-ut-Tahrir. Then, we observed this reflected in Anandabazar Patrika’s report. The tone of Taslima Nasrin’s speech is also the same. There are efforts in progress to establish this story in the global arena.

On September 11, The Economic Times in India published an article about Hizb-ut-Tahrir’s activities in Bangladesh.

Mahfuj Alam, a student leader who is known to have ties to Hizb-ut-Tahrir, was just named special secretary to Yunus, according to the report.

In addition, following the chief adviser’s travel to the US, Anandabazar Patrika, a publication located in West Bengal, released a report. Mahfuj Alam is allegedly involved with Hizb-ut-Tahrir, according to the daily.

But Mahfuj Alam previously stated that he has no affiliation with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami or Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

He stated in a Facebook post on 14 September, “A campaign is on to stigmatise me. The propaganda units of the Bangladesh Awami League and the Indian media outlets are saying that I was involved in Islamic or militant politics, specifically with Hizb-ut-Tahrir. I have nothing to do with it.

Mahfuj Alam stated in his article that he was not associated with Islami Chhatra Shibir and that he has always opposed the beliefs of Hizb-ut-Tahrir and other anti-democratic parties. I refrained from engaging in their political endeavors. They (Chhatra Shbir) had approached me as a first-year university student and invited me to their programs, but I disagreed with their political objectives toward Bangladesh.

Advisor Nahid Islam stated during the event on Sunday that since Mahfuj Alam and the chief adviser joined the movement on a global platform and made it known, the propagation of this misinformation has increased.

“Attempts are underway to mix up this mass uprising in Bangladesh with a type of Islamic radicalism, as well as to show that a type of Islamic radicalism has risen in Bangladesh and the mass uprising took place by them,” Nahid Islam stated, emphasizing the need to comprehend the motivations behind spreading those. That is just untrue. Instead, it is being planned because we are aware that radicals in India will benefit if Islamic extremism is fostered in Bangladesh.

Nahid Islam, an adviser to the interim administration, expressed optimism that the democratic Indian populace will likewise denounce and oppose similar reports.

“If we want to build a democratic South Asia, we must be outspoken and take a stand against such propaganda, misinformation and narrative,” he said.