DHAKA, October 20, 2026 — Islamic preacher Dr. Syed Muhammad Enayetullah Abbasi must immediately withdraw his obscene and inciting remarks targeting media workers and refrain from provoking physical attacks against journalists, Bangladesh Media Monitor (BDMM) said in a statement.
The organization expressed strong condemnation, protest, and deep concern over the hate-filled rhetoric delivered during a religious gathering in Chandpur. BDMM noted that its official statement was published on its social media handles (1, 2) on Tuesday in both Bangla and English.
According to reports from multiple media outlets (1, 2, 3), the offensive remarks were made on the night of October 19 during the annual Waz and Dua Mahfil at Nishchintapur Hafizia Madrasa in Matlab Uttar upazila, Chandpur district. Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Abbasi criticized the role of journalists in covering the controversial anti-drug campaign led by Ishrak Hossain, a Member of Parliament who recently resigned from the Cabinet. During his speech, he labeled journalists as “the worst” and declared that they “should be beaten like dogs”.
BDMM emphasized that while every citizen possesses the right to engage in constructive discussion or express disagreement regarding news coverage, publicly making derogatory remarks and inciting physical violence against journalists in a large public forum is entirely unacceptable. Such hate speech severely endangers the environment for free journalism and poses a direct threat to the lives and physical safety of grassroots reporters.
Calling on religious and socially influential figures to exercise responsibility and refrain from issuing statements that undermine media freedom and dignity, BDMM also reiterated its call to the Government of Bangladesh to take effective measures to guarantee the overall security of journalists and ensure a fearless atmosphere for objective journalism.