Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the newspaper Amar Desh, stated that a large portion of Bangladesh’s media failed to support persecuted journalists over the past 16–17 years due to fear, pressure, and opportunism. He made the remarks on Saturday at a meeting in Banani, Dhaka, where BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman met with editors and journalists. Mahmudur Rahman said he would not deliver a long speech but would instead mention names of journalists who, in his view, suffered injustice.

He cited the late journalist Ruhul Amin Gazi, who was imprisoned while suffering from cancer and denied treatment, and senior editor Abul Asad, who was jailed for years and unable to be with his wife during her illness. He also described the harsh prison conditions faced by 80-year-old Shafik Rehman and the imprisonment of journalist Kanak Sarwar for broadcasting Tarique Rahman’s speech live. Mahmudur Rahman said mainstream media remained silent in all these cases.

In his closing remarks, he addressed Tarique Rahman, asserting that the true history of Bangladesh’s media and liberation war had been distorted and promising to present a detailed account in the future.