Senior journalist Arshad Mahmud launched a scathing attack on leading daily Prothom Alo and the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government during Wednesday’s episode of the popular talk show Onno Moncho, calling the newspaper’s latest opinion survey “agenda-driven propaganda” and accusing the current regime of rampant nepotism, corruption, and abuse of power.
Speaking to host Masood Kamal, Mahmud dismissed Prothom Alo’s recent poll—conducted by an obscure outfit he had “never heard of” with a tiny sample of only 1,300 people—as completely unreliable.
“They have published 10–12 separate reports in just two days on a single survey,” he said. “I have worked for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian—nowhere in the world does a serious newspaper do this. This is not journalism; this is an attempt to hammer a narrative into people’s hearts. There is a clear motive behind it.”
Mahmud accused the paper of abandoning its duty to hold power accountable and instead serving personal and group interests.
Direct Attack on the Yunus Administration
Turning to the interim government, the veteran journalist said the Yunus regime is repeating every sin it once accused the Awami League of committing:
People think Yunus government is highly corrupt, says journalist Arshad Mahmud
Tarique Rahman’s Human Rights Day Message: A masterclass in duplicity
CPJ paints grim picture of press freedom under Yunus’ mobocracy
– “Sheikh Hasina was criticised for nepotism—taking her sister and relatives abroad, making family members MPs. But what is Yunus doing? He takes his daughter on foreign trips, appoints his brother’s son as Deputy Press Secretary—a man nobody has ever seen in the office—and in 14 months he has travelled abroad 14 times with delegations of 40–60 people, all on taxpayers’ money, staying in five-star hotels. Is this not corruption?”
– “They promised police reform, administrative reform, an anti-corruption drive, and electoral reform—nothing has happened. Instead, they are talking about leasing out ports; that was their real agenda from day one.”
– “The Anti-Corruption Commission chairman himself said Yunus’ cases cannot be withdrawn by executive order, yet they were withdrawn. Basundhara Group’s owner (Sayem Sobhan Anvir) is accused of murder and money laundering—their people are out on bail, and the Bangladesh Bank governor is having coffee with them. Where is the ‘jihad against corruption’ they announced?”
Personal Experience of Prothom Alo’s Lack of Professionalism
Mahmud revealed an incident from 2014 when he briefly worked as a consultant for Prothom Alo: “Then Finance Minister A.M.A. Muhith publicly said one particular company (Summit Group) was repeatedly getting quick-rental power contracts, and it needed investigation. I told my team to do an investigative report. A reporter replied, ‘Arshad bhai, this cannot be done—Aziz Khan is a very close friend of Mati bhai (editor Matiur Rahman).’ That is Prothom Alo’s professionalism.”
He concluded: “Journalism has two main duties—protect the interests of ordinary people and make the powerful answerable. Prothom Alo is doing neither. They are doing journalism for individuals and groups, not for the public.”
English 
Bengali