Extortion Allegations Against Wheelchair-Bound Mirza Abbas
Humayun Kabir Bulbul
Mirza Abbas is one of the pillars of BNP politics in Dhaka. He played an outstanding role in the anti-autocracy movement of 1982–1990, the movement against Sheikh Hasina’s alleged misrule from 1996 to 2001, and the movement against the fascist rule of the past 16 years. Mirza Abbas has held every major position, including mayor of undivided Dhaka, minister and MP. Allegations of corruption against him have never stood up to scrutiny.
However, a series of false campaigns targeting Mirza Abbas has been underway since the last national parliamentary election. The main target is the BNP, as if defeating Mirza Abbas would bring the party’s advance to a halt. Certain identified politicians and a group active on social media have repeatedly tried to portray him as an extortionist. There has been no evidence, complaint, investigation or trial. Yet the campaign continues relentlessly.
After more than five and a half months of medical treatment, Mirza Abbas returned to Dhaka on Wednesday night. He attended a parliamentary session in a wheelchair on Thursday. His tearful speech brought the National Parliament to a standstill for a moment. However, a Facebook page of the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement posted a fake RTV photo card claiming that Mirza Abbas had collected Tk 3.72 crore in extortion on the very first day of his return to the country. There should be a limit to falsehood.
Shafik Khan, a Sweden-based moderator of the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement’s Facebook page, made the completely baseless post. The Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Chhatra Shibir and all student organizations committed to democracy actively participated in the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement. But who is running their Facebook page now?
A moderator is essentially an organizer of a Facebook page. There is no such report on RTV’s Facebook page or YouTube channel. Despite this, was such a fake photo card deliberately posted?
This is not new. False reports are being posted one after another on the Facebook page of the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement. This public Facebook page effectively being turned into a dumping ground.
