TDS Desk

Like the 1/11 political changeover, a leading Bengali daily of the country is pursuing a ‘minus-two formula’ for its implementation. In 2007, the newspaper had drawn up a blueprint to remove two leaders – BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina – from politics.

Seventeen years later in the present condition, although the ‘formula’ remains the same, Khaleda’s eldest son and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has been added to the ‘minus list’. During and post 1/11 situation, Tarique’s character was assassinated to make him a ‘villain’ in politics as part of an ill attempt, reports the Kaler Kantho.

Collected image

The ‘mission’ was to end his political career destroying his image by portraying him as the patronage of militancy, godfather of terrorism, corrupt, and owner of a vast wealth. There are allegations that the newspaper is still working on the blueprint behind the scenes. Meanwhile, the political atmosphere has already started to heat up, while BNP leaders are also deeply dissatisfied.

Tarique has been living abroad for a long time due to political reasons. A leading daily of Karwan Bazar portrayed him as the mastermind of all criminal acts to destroy his political career. Most recently, an angry group of Islamists staged demonstrations and slaughtered a cow in front of the office of the newspaper accused of being Islamophobic and turning religious-minded people into militants.

Allegedly, the national daily, criticised as an agent of a foreign intelligence agency, made ill attempts to ‘ruin’ his political career by publishing hundreds of reports implicating him to create public outrage by sending wrong messages to society for an ulterior motive.

The main agenda of the newspaper, which led the implementation of 1/11, was to ‘minus’ Tarique Rahman as well as Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. This has become evident after analysing numerous cartoons, reports, and columns published in the daily. Many individuals who were nurtured by the newspaper now have become a part of the interim government. Critics said that even though the dictatorship has fallen or Tarique has been acquitted in many cases, some lawsuits are still pending. These are issues why he cannot return to the country.

And to delay the return, there are allegations that the newspaper is trying to do the same from behind. It is known that the daily is active in implementing the previous blueprint. The BNP and people are discussing the issue.

The very newspaper is Prothom Alo. It is alleged that although the Prothom Alo, the advocate of creating a ‘third party’ in politics by excluding the two major parties of the country, failed during the 1/11 political changeover, their ‘minus two plus formula’ has not stopped yet. Not only did the daily character assassination of Tarique but it also did the same against his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko. Analysing the archive of news, it can be seen that the Prothom Alo vilified the characters of the duo.

The newspaper published reports one after another under the leadership of Matiur Rahman linking the BNP with its militancy patronage. If these reports are reviewed, it is found that all of those are baseless. Alongside, the daily published a number of reports involving Tarique in the 21 August grenade attack. Of late, the BNP acting chairman and others were acquitted in that case. Now the party raised the question – who would take responsibility for the way the Prothom Alo involved him in the grenade attack and tarnished his image? How would the newspaper meet the liability of this defamation?

On 7 June 2007, the editor of the same newspaper wrote an opinion titled “Tarique’s corruption must be tried.” With whom, how he committed corruption, and how he apologised for this in the affidavit – the opinion after analysing these issues basically added all the elements to humiliate Tarique to the public.

Matiur Rahman wrote in his opinion, “Tarique Rahman knew all the illegal activities, big corruptions and extortion of Mamun (Gias Uddin Al Mamun) and used to get a share of those.”

He wrote, “Actually, in the past five years, the vast wealth that Tarique and Mamun accumulated jointly and the widespread public rumours about it all over the country, all have been proved through the statements of Mamun, Babar and others. Alongside, there are many reasons to believe that former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia was aware of the misdeeds committed by the Tarique-Mamun gang.”

He added, “No government can pardon Tarique for the damage he has done to the country through his activities. It is not possible.”

The Prothom Alo also published reports titled “Tarique, Babar, Harris and Mamun – BNP’s four most corrupt individuals,” and “Graft case against Tarique, wife and mother-in-law also accused”. On 26 January 2008, the editor wrote another opinion titled “21 August attack: Truth is coming out, what will happen to fake storytellers.” A satirical cartoon was also attached to the writing.

On 25 March 2008, the daily published another report titled “Graft case against Tarique, charge sheet to be submitted soon,” with a cartoon distorting his face. The newspaper also published a report belittling him under the headline “Tarique is accused of acquiring Tk5 crore illegal assets.”

On 24 April 2008, the Prothom Alo published one more report implicating Tarique. Here, photos of Tarique, Koko, and former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar were also published. The report headlined “Babor’s Tk21 crore bribery case: Tarique’s name in the charge sheet.”

The daily also published a report involving Tarique in embezzling money from an orphanage. It headlined “Orphanage money embezzlement: Case likely to be lodged against Tarique.”

On 12 June 2014, a column was written by Sohrab Hasan in the newspaper only to prove Tarique a failure with a fictitious analysis. Its headline was, “Tarique BNP’s asset or burden?” To vilify Tarique, he wrote another column titled “Again Tarique’s era! Again Harris administration!”

The Prothom Alo on 19 March 2012 published another report implicating Tarique in the 21 August grenade attack. With the headline “Trial starts against 52 accused including Babar, Tarique, Mojaheed,” the daily was active enough to prove Tarique’s involvement in the grenade attack. To serve the purpose, it published reports one after another. However, all the accused, including the BNP acting chairman, got acquittal in the case after the interim government assumed power in the country.

Implicating Tarique in militancy, the newspaper citing WikiLeaks also published a fabricated report titled “Tarique Rahman arranges the release of Bangla Bhai’s associate.”

Through its reports, the Prothom Alo left no stone unturned to belittle Tarique Rahman. Once it made a special arrangement of collecting comments from citizens via phone by questioning them “Tarique Rahman’s announcement of retirement from politics: What is your comment?” The daily later published a report titled “Welcome the announcement of Tarique Rahman’s retirement from politics.” It only published comments from readers who advocated his departure.

Not only the newspaper vilified Tarique but it also did a character assassination of Koko. Its special correspondent Hasan Ferdous used to write a column “Khola Chokhe” from the US. In one of his writings “Stories of Koko,” he tarnished the image of Koko.

The Prothom Alo published a report titled “Trial of Koko begins” with a satirical cartoon allegedly portraying him as a corrupt and a money launderer.

Politically aware people and political analysts believe that the newspaper’s numerous reports, cartoons, and columns had only one purpose, that is to make Tarique Rahman a ‘villain’ in politics, make him ‘zero’, and ruin his political career destroying his image.

Even during the current interim government, the controversial newspaper which allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims, is out to implement its blueprint to ‘minus’ Tarique Rahman from politics.

The Prothom Alo, led by Matiur Rahman, has continued a multi-faceted conspiracy to hinder Tarique’s return to the country despite he secured bail in a number of cases filed during the Awami League government. (Collected)