Govt counters Reuters, Indian media reports slain Ctg lawyer 

The government has disputed the accuracy of a Reuters report on the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif in Chattogram.

The Chief Adviser's Press Wing identified discrepancies in the report titled "One Killed in Bangladesh as Hindu Protesters Clash with Police," seeking corrections from the international news agency.

The Reuters article quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Chattogram Metropolitan Police, Liaquat Ali Khan, stating that "a Muslim lawyer defending Das was killed amid protests outside the court."

However, the government found that no such statement had been made by Liaquat Ali Khan. At the time of the incident, he was managing law and order near the court.

Additionally, none of the four constables named Liaquat in the Chattogram Metropolitan Police reported making such comments.

In a Facebook post, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam explained the government's investigation into the claim.

The press wing found Alif was not the lawyer for Chinmoy Krishna Das, as stated in the Reuters report.

"It took considerable effort to confirm that Advocate Subasish Sharma, not Alif, was Chinmoy's lawyer," Shafiqul said.

After the government's intervention, Reuters corrected and republished the article. A subsequent video, deemed misleading, was also removed by Reuters at the government's request.

The press wing further reached out to other media outlets, such as Voice of America, to address similar inaccuracies based on the original Reuters report.

Shafiqul said, "It is easy to spread misinformation, but it often takes significant effort to refute it. While disproving false claims, one must ensure no errors are made."

He added that during his tenure as Dhaka Bureau Chief of AFP, proving incorrect reports sometimes took weeks.

The Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) also protested against the Reuters report, calling it biased and unverified.

In a media statement shared by the Chief Adviser's Press Wing, the CMP stressed that attributing fabricated statements to a responsible police officer without direct verification violates journalistic principles.

The Chief Adviser's Press Wing also dismissed false claims by some Indian media outlets alleging that Alif represented Chinmoy Krishna Das. The wing described the claims as "malafide" and cited court documents showing Advocate Subasish Sharma as Chinmoy's lawyer.

Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus condemned the murder, ordered an investigation, and instructed law enforcement agencies to strengthen security in Chattogram.

"The interim government is committed to ensuring communal harmony at any cost," Yunus said, urging citizens to remain calm and avoid provocation.