The interim government on Friday, December 19, assured “full justice” for recent attacks on journalists and media institutions, calling on citizens to remain vigilant against violence carried out by what it described as isolated extremist groups. In a statement issued the same day, the government said it “strongly and unequivocally condemns all acts of violence, intimidation, arson, and destruction of life and property.”
The statement said the country is currently passing through a “historic democratic transition” and warned that progress must not be derailed by chaos. Referring to upcoming elections and a referendum, the government described them as a national commitment linked to the ideals for which Sharif Osman Hadi was killed, urging restraint, responsibility, and rejection of hatred in his memory.
Addressing recent attacks on the media, the government expressed solidarity with journalists from The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, and New Age. “An attack on journalists is an attack on truth,” the statement said, adding that the government was deeply saddened by the violence and assured affected journalists of full justice.
The statement also condemned the beating to death of a Hindu man in Mymensingh, saying there is no place for such violence in what it described as a “new Bangladesh,” and that those involved would not be spared. In its concluding remarks, the government urged citizens to honor Hadi’s memory by rejecting violence, incitement, and hatred.
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