Dhaka — Recently released journalist and columnist Anis Alamgir has strongly criticized former Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, accusing him of incompetence and alleging widespread political misuse of power during his administration.
Speaking in an interview on senior journalist Masud Kamal’s program “Onno Moncho,” Alamgir described his detention as politically motivated. He claimed that he was picked up from a gym, held for 24 hours at a Detective Branch office without any formal case, and later charged based on a viral television talk show clip.
Alamgir alleged that senior officials, including the police commissioner and the home affairs adviser, directly instructed authorities to send him to jail. He further described harsh conditions during his imprisonment in Keraniganj and Kashimpur jails, where he said he was kept in non-division confinement under difficult and isolated circumstances.
The journalist also made sweeping allegations against Yunus, accusing him of acting in self-interest across sectors, evading taxes, and attempting to reshape historical narratives related to Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
Criticizing former Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, Alamgir claimed that judicial independence had been undermined, alleging that courts faced pressure when granting bail and that a culture of prolonged detention without conviction had emerged.
Offering political advice, Alamgir urged the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to identify and remove what he described as “infiltrators” within its ranks, warning that hidden political alliances could weaken the party.
He also raised concerns about his personal belongings, stating that his mobile phone has yet to be returned by police. Addressing controversy over a social media post showing him eating nihari, Alamgir clarified that it was part of his routine “digital diary” and not a celebration of any specific event.
Concluding his remarks, Alamgir called on the new government to ensure swift bail for detainees held without trial, emphasizing that journalists seek to speak truth to power rather than assume it.
