The government expects media outlets to practise responsible journalism, said Shafiqul Alam

Expressing serious concern over misleading reports published by various media outlets on Friday regarding clashes between police and Inquilab Moncho protesters demanding justice for Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said today that the government expects responsible journalism from the country’s media.

“We expect responsible journalism from our media outlets, particularly at a time when they have enjoyed unprecedented freedom over the past 18 months. Yet, repeatedly, they have failed to carry out even the most basic journalistic verification,” he wrote in a post on his verified Facebook account.

Shafiqul Alam said Abdullah Al Jaber, a longtime associate of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi, was injured during the clashes with police on Friday. He added that dozens of Inquilab Moncho supporters and members were also injured and received treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

He noted that as Jaber was being taken to hospital, a post appeared on Jaber’s Facebook account—marked with a red banner—claiming that he had been shot, using the Bangla term gulibiddha. “This is a highly charged word. To most people, gulibiddha clearly implies being struck by live bullets,” he said, adding that the post quickly went viral and fuelled serious tensions.

“Unfortunately, major media houses, including television channels and newspapers, treated this Facebook post as fact,” he said, adding that they ran photocards and headlines claiming that Inquilab Moncho leader Abdullah Al Jaber had been shot, thereby spreading misinformation rapidly.

He said the authorities immediately contacted the police, and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police categorically stated that no shots had been fired. He added that, following directives from the Interim Government, police no longer carry lethal weapons. Later, the director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital also confirmed that none of the protesters, including Jaber, had been shot.

Emphasising that news gathering is a serious responsibility, Shafiqul Alam said a single error can incite violence, trigger riots, and create chaos.

“Our newspapers and TV stations failed miserably in reporting yesterday’s clashes. They did not merely fall for clickbait—they amplified it. Their lack of verification and basic journalistic rigor helped create an explosive situation,” he said.

He added that only statements from the Interim Government, the DMP, and Dhaka Medical College Hospital eventually helped defuse tensions.

Referring to past incidents, he said similar irresponsible reporting had fuelled violence following the crash of an Air Force fighter jet at Milestone School. Sensational and inaccurate coverage, he said, helped create a lynch-mob situation that confined several advisers and officials inside the school for more than nine hours. He also noted that another mob later broke into the Secretariat and vandalised offices.

“Yesterday’s reckless clickbait journalism nearly led to a similar outcome,” he said.

Pointing out that journalists are often quick to lecture governments, politicians, and powerful figures about responsibility, Shafiqul Alam said, “But when it comes time to look in the mirror, many choose to look away.”