The Inter Services Public Relation Directorate on Sunday said that the Indian media outlet Northeast News article titled ‘Bangladesh to declare Cox’s Bazar to Bandarban area as a military operations zone’ was a clear example of deliberate disinformation propagated by segments of the Indian media seeking to destabilise Bangladesh’s internal cohesion and undermine its armed forces.
‘The insinuation that the Bangladesh Army supports insurgent actors, is not only baseless but malicious. Such speculative reporting, devoid of evidence, reflects a broader agenda to sow discord and mislead the public,’ said an ISPR rejoinder issued on Sunday.
A vast swathe of territory between Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban will be declared a ‘military operations zone’ that will not only facilitate the Bangladesh Army’s plans to support the Arkan Army but will also ‘effectively address’ ongoing border security challenges, Northeast News has reliably learnt, according to a Northeast News report published online on Saturday.
As a consequence of the operationalisation of this decision, the Border Guard Bangladesh will step back from the border and pave the way for its dominance and control by the Army, the report said.
Bangladesh officials, however, were tightlipped on the precise time when the MOZ will become operational, the report added.
The ISPR said that the Bangladesh Army had always upheld the highest standards of professionalism and remains resolutely committed to protecting the nation’s sovereignty, integrity, and constitutional order. ‘There will be no compromise on national interest—now or ever.’
‘This narrative is not journalism; it is part of a sustained smear campaign. Bangladesh stands united and aligned firmly in defence of its people and its territory,’ it added.