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In an open letter despatched to Bangladeshi media editors on Sunday, Alexander Mantytskiy, the Russian ambassador to Dhaka, claimed that Bangladeshi media shops have been echoing “anti-Russian propaganda” from Western media motivated by “bias, prejudice and even hatred in direction of Russia.”
The four-page letter, which the ambassador signed, outlined the Russian authorities’s perspective on the Ukraine battle. He claimed that the present stance of Bangladeshi media shops on the battle was a part of an ongoing effort by the West to distance Moscow and Dhaka. The letter didn’t title any particular media shops, or cite examples of biased protection.
“I take into account the biased method of sure Bangladeshi media in direction of the state of affairs in Ukraine, and Russia’s actions there, because of deliberate efforts by these forces which have at all times sought to undermine mutually helpful cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Folks’s Republic of Bangladesh,” Ambassador Mantytskiy stated.
The Russian embassy in Dhaka confirmed in an e-mail to DW that the ambassador had signed the letter.
‘Unacceptable’ interference
Bangladeshi media professionals have defended their protection of the battle in Ukraine as fact-based and unbiased.
Golam Mortoza, the editor of the Dhaka-based Day by day Star Bangla newspaper, emphasised that an envoy of a overseas nation shouldn’t inform Bangladeshi journalists do their jobs.
“The wording of the letter by the Russian ambassador feels like he was prescribing what we must always write or what sources we must always use. Such dictation from an envoy is unacceptable,” he informed DW.
Ali Riaz, a political science professor at Illinois State College specializing in South Asia, informed DW that the letter makes doubtful claims concerning the state of Bangladeshi media.
“Had the ambassador been referring to a selected report and offered data, it might have been knowledgeable response,” Riaz stated.
“Bangladeshi media are offering crucial analyses of the state of affairs together with data offered by Western information sources,” he stated.
“However the overall statement that media all over the place are likely to have a proclivity in direction of agenda setting, numerous Bangladeshi media have revealed analyses from worldwide media which have explored Russian arguments for the invasion,” he added.
Moscow makes an attempt to match Bangladesh with Ukraine
Within the letter, Mantytskiy in contrast the intervention of the Soviet Union in Bangladesh’s battle of liberation in 1971 with Russia’s present invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow claims is geared toward “liberating” the Russian-speaking inhabitants within the jap Donbas area in an analogous method Bangladesh fought for independence.
Analyst Riaz stated evaluating the 1971 battle of independence in Bangladesh with the state of affairs in Japanese Ukraine is very problematic.
“The ambassador’s studying of Bangladeshi historical past is skewed and faulty. It omits the historical past of financial disparity between East and West Pakistan and the democratic course of that legitimized the declaration of independence,” Riaz stated.
“Most significantly, it ignores the contributions of the liberty fighters who fought valiantly for months in opposition to the Pakistani occupation drive. Ethical and materials help of India, the then USSR, and others have helped the liberty fighters. Nonetheless, Bangladesh emerged as an impartial nation due to a battle fought by its individuals,” he added.
Editor Mortoza stated the 2 occasions haven’t any foundation for comparability.
“Russia has invaded Ukraine … Russia nonetheless has no proper to assault and bomb an impartial nation and make thousands and thousands of individuals homeless,” he stated.
Edited by: Wesley Rahn
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