Media report on foiled plot to assassinate Bangladesh PM Hasina baseless, says her office

The Bangladesh government has rubbished reports in foreign media over a foiled plot to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 Sept 2017, 10:06 AM
Updated : 24 Sept 2017, 12:32 PM

"The media reports over a plot to attack the prime minister on Aug 24 are totally baseless, misleading and intentional," the Prime Minister’s Office said in a rare statement.

According to the reports that cited anonymous sources in Indian and Bangladesh intelligence agencies, the foiled attack was plotted by rogue members of the Special Security Force or SSF in coordination with banned terrorist outfit Jama'tul Mujahideen Bangladesh or JMB.

The reports said six to seven SSF personnel were preparing to attack PM Hasina on Aug 24 .

The reports said JMB members were supposed to trigger explosions around the office to create a diversion and provide an escape route for the assassins.

On Friday, Myanmar-based Mizzima carried the story and Indian outlet News18 followed suit.

Before, the PMO issued the statement, cabinet member and veteran Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu said the report was untrue.

"We did not find the matter to be true," Amu told the media after a meeting of the cabinet committee on law and order, which he heads.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, however, went on record saying that there was 'a conspiracy'.

"A vested group, comprising local and foreign elements, is plotting to kill the prime minister as they envy the prime minister's popularity over the Rohingya issue," Quader, who also sits on the cabinet, told reporters in Bandaraban.

The PMO statement, issued on Sunday, referred to some Bangladeshi TV stations, which had carried the news quoting a foreign TV channel and an international online outlet as well as discussed it in their talk shows.

"The media is being requested to run a fact-check and use its discretion before running such baseless and misleading reports," the PMO said.

 Hasina is now in the US, where she had gone to attend the 72nd UN General Assembly.