"Anandabazar report highlights protests involving the Army"

The Bangladesh Army has strongly objected to a report published by Indian news outlet Anandabazar's website on December 27, 2024. The report claims that the Pakistani Army is poised to return to Bangladesh after 53 years. Presented as a series of 22 photos with captions, the story alleges, among other things, that Pakistani forces are set to train their Bangladeshi counterparts. The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Department of Bangladesh has dismissed these claims as "false and baseless."

The report, titled "Urdee-te Bangali Gonohotyar Rokter Chhite! 53 Bochhor Por Bangladesh-e Phirchhe Shei Porajito Pak Fouj" (translated as "Uniforms bloodied in Bengali genocide! Defeated Pak army returns to Bangladesh after 53 years"), depicts a grim scenario, suggesting that Bangladesh is falling under Pakistan's influence. It also claims that a Pakistani major general will train Bangladeshi officers, citing Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus’s alleged warming relations with Pakistan as a key factor.

In its statement, the ISPR emphasized that the Bangladesh Army adheres to high standards of professionalism and strongly supports international cooperation. The Army maintains cordial ties with numerous countries through regular exchange programs aimed at enhancing mutual skills and collaboration.

The ISPR clarified that there are no plans for any Pakistani military units to conduct training in Bangladesh and labeled the report's claims as entirely unfounded. It also criticized the newspaper for failing to adhere to journalistic ethics, noting that no effort was made to seek comments or clarifications from Bangladesh's ISPR before the report's publication.

The Bangladesh Army reiterated its commitment to transparency and providing accurate information, urging media outlets to verify facts from credible sources before publishing sensitive defense-related reports.