Mahfuz, the Information Adviser, claims the government is not in favor of shutting down any media outlet. Yet, he also declared that all news media registered under the Awami League government would now face investigations. These outlets are being labeled as accomplices in the fascist “July-August conspiracy.”
Meanwhile, after asking a critical question to Farooqi during a press conference, Deepto TV’s operations were abruptly shut down — a clear sign of Mahfuz and his cohorts’ duplicity.
This brand of fascism is evident in both their hypocritical statements and actions. Over the past 8 months alone, 266 cases have been filed against journalists. Many of them are innocent professionals who are now imprisoned, tortured, or have lost their jobs as a result.
Now, the conspiracy plotters—under the guise of investigations—are pressuring autonomous media outlets (which were registered during the Awami League era) to toe a controlled editorial line. When simply asking a question can cost a journalist their job, one can only imagine how “fair” these investigations will be — and how “free” the media can truly remain under this regime.
