A leading Bengali newspaper, Prothom Alo published a front-page article on November 2, stating that murders, muggings, and banditry sharply increased in Dhaka during September and October. 

However, the Chief Adviser's press wing has declared this information to be false and deeply flawed.

The statement was shared on the verified Facebook page of the CA press wing, called CA Press Wing Facts.

Prothom Alo claimed that 192 people were killed in Dhaka over the last two months, including at least 21 in Mohammadpur. In response, the press wing said, “This news is not true. It is dangerously misleading and poorly fact-checked. It creates the impression that lawlessness has greatly increased in Dhaka right after the significant student-led uprising in July and August.”

According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the actual number of murders in the city was 68, not 192, and only 10 people were killed in Mohammadpur, not 21.

In a response to Prothom Alo, the DMP explained that the higher death toll reported was due to many families of victims from the July-August uprising filing murder cases in September and October. The murders occurred during the uprising but were recorded by the police in September and October.

While Prothom Alo published the DMP's response, it did not correct its original article, which led to a misleading impression about the law and order situation in Dhaka.

The government expects Prothom Alo to update its article online based on the DMP's clarification as a responsible news outlet, the CA press wing stated.

The interim government and police authorities are committed to improving law and order across the country, including in the capital, according to the statement.

BDST: 2129 HRS, NOV 05, 2024
MSK