Bangladesh dismisses Indian report linking law adviser to 'militant meeting'

The government has rejected what it termed a “false, defamatory, and irresponsible” report published by Indian online portal News Arena India. The report alleged that law adviser Asif Nazrul met with a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative following a deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

The law, justice, and parliamentary affairs ministry issued an official statement in this regard on Thursday, describing the report titled “B'desh legal advisor meets top LeT Operative post J&K attack” as a work of fiction with no basis in fact.

According to the statement, the individuals referred to in the report were leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam, an umbrella platform of Islamic scholars and legally operating organisations in Bangladesh, and not associated with any terrorist group.

“Thousands of Hefazat-e-Islam members were victims of politically motivated, false, and fabricated charges filed during the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina,” the statement read. “As part of the new government’s commitment to justice and legal reform, Asif Nazrul, in his official capacity as law adviser, met with a Hefazat delegation seeking redress for these past abuses.”

It also noted that the meeting took place at least three days prior to the date cited by the news outlet. The delegation submitted a list of cases to the ministry and requested a photograph with the adviser, which is a customary gesture for such meetings.

The statement further clarified that Hefazat leaders are participating in the political dialogue initiated by consensus commission. They hold meetings with representatives from western embassies in Bangladesh, and it reflects their broad international engagement and legitimacy in their current political role.

According to the ministry, it is important to note that independent human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, documented and criticised the previous regime’s brutal crackdown on opposition activists, including Hefazat members. These reports underline the political nature of the cases against them and support the ongoing efforts to provide justice.

The ministry further refuted allegations that Asif Nazrul had made an inflammatory Facebook post targeting Indian leaders. It clarified that the post in question was originally written by an Indian citizen criticizing security failures and was reshared by the law adviser with a caption condemning the attack.

“The report falsely claims that the law and justice adviser posted an inflammatory message on Facebook implicating Indian leaders in the Pahalgam massacre. In reality, the post in question was authored by an Indian citizen criticizing security lapses. He shared the post with a caption condemning the attack. Recognizing the potential for misinterpretation, he voluntarily deleted the post within hours,” the statement read.

The ministry clarified that the adviser unequivocally condemns the heinous Pahalgam massacre, extends his prayers to the victims and their families, and calls for swift justice against the perpetrators. “This reckless and unfounded reporting by News Arena India represents a dangerous deviation from journalistic integrity and truth. We call upon all media outlets to uphold the principles of responsible reporting and to verify facts before publication.”