Several Indian media outlets recently published reports claiming that Bangladesh’s Interim Government Chief Advisor, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, issued an order banning the broadcast of Liberation War-related content on state radio and television.
These reports allege that the order prohibits content related to the genocide during the Liberation War, attributes responsibility to Pakistan for the genocide, and criticizes Pakistani leaders such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Additionally, they claim that all records and video footage from 1952 to 1971 were ordered to be destroyed.
Indian Media Reports on This Issue: India.com, NTV Telugu, India Herald, EBM News, One India
Posts Circulated on X (formerly Twitter): Post (Archived), Post (Archived)
Facebook Post on This Issue: Here (Archive)
Fact-Check
An investigation by the Rumor Scanner team found that the claim regarding the Interim Government Chief Advisor banning Liberation War-related content on state radio and television is false. Instead, an official directive was issued regarding the removal of all images, information, and content from the Bangladesh Betar (state radio) website and its Facebook pages that violate government policies. This directive has been exaggerated and misinterpreted in the Indian media reports.
A notice about this directive was published on the Bangladesh Betar website on February 2. The order, signed by Syed Zahidul Islam, Additional Director (Administration & Finance) on behalf of the Director General of Bangladesh Betar, states:
“All units/centers of Bangladesh Betar must review their websites and Facebook pages to remove any images, information, or content that violate government policies and notify the administration branch at the headquarters by 3 PM on 02/02/2025.”
A review of this directive found no mention of banning Liberation War-related content or references to Pakistan.
Additionally, a Facebook post from the Press Wing of the Chief Advisor refuted the false claims made by Indian media. The post clarified that allegations of censorship attributed to Dr. Yunus regarding radio and television were baseless. It further stated that the Ministry of Information assured the Chief Advisor that no censorship had been imposed on the media and that there was no intention to do so. The ministry also noted that some controversial content from the Hasina administration had been removed from the archives and affirmed that it would continue its lawful duty of removing media content that could incite violence.
Conclusion
Thus, the claim that the Interim Government Chief Advisor banned the broadcast of Liberation War-related content on state media, as reported by Indian media, is entirely false.
Sources
- Bangladesh Betar – Website
- CA Press Wing Facts – Facebook Post
