What Hasnat Abdullah said about the allegations made by journalist Zillur Rahman

Recently, in a video, Channel i’s talk show Third Dimension host and Center for Governance Studies (CGS) executive director journalist Zillur Rahman alleged that Hasnat Abdullah, the chief organizer (south) of the National Citizens Party (NCP), had threatened a private hospital authority. However, Hasnat Abdullah claimed in a Facebook status posted on Monday that this claim is not true.

In a post on his verified Facebook, he wrote, “Recently, a video made by journalist Zillur Rahman, the host of Third Dimension and Executive Director of the Center for Governance Studies, is being circulated widely on social media. In the video, he claims that I spoke to a hospital authority in the capital in a “threat” tone and even “threatened” them to demolish the hospital in various ways! However, in reality, no such incident has happened. His allegation is completely untrue and a blatant lie.’

Hasnat Abdullah wrote, ‘The incident began yesterday morning. When a child died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Dhaka. Before his death, the hospital authorities said that a bill of two lakh twenty thousand taka had been received for the child’s treatment. The family of the deceased paid one lakh taka from there. The outstanding balance was one lakh twenty thousand taka. The hospital authorities refused to hand over the body of the deceased child to his family, leaving this amount outstanding. They said that we have no option to hand over the body unless the full amount is paid.’

He wrote, ‘Later, when the child’s family contacted me on the phone, I tried to talk to the hospital authorities from the deceased family’s mobile. I tried to tell the hospital authorities only that you have the complete authority to reduce or waive the amount. I can only request. It is worth noting that when the family of the deceased, who was in a coma, requested the authorities to waive the bill, a deputy director of the hospital was present, but he refused to provide any assistance. Despite repeated attempts to talk to him, he did not agree to talk.’

The top NCP leader wrote, ‘Since I was staying in Comilla, I did not have the opportunity to go there and help in person. That is why I asked two brothers I know to go to the hospital. So that they can discuss with the authorities and help the family of the deceased in handing over the body.’

He wrote, ‘This very issue is being deliberately presented as ‘If you do not listen to me, people will be sent to vandalize the hospital’. Which is clearly unfair and a gross lie.’

Hasnat Abdullah wrote, ‘I request several journalists I know to go to the hospital to find out the details of the incident. I personally called two representatives of Daily Manab Zamin and Jamuna Television and informed them about this. When they immediately arrived at the scene and wanted to talk to the hospital authorities about this, the hospital authorities asked them to wait outside. And after saying wait, no one contacted them or even spoke to them!’

He wrote, ‘In the wake of this incident, when a brigadier called me later, I told him that I can only request you from a humanitarian point of view to reduce the money. Whether you will consider that request or not is purely your institutional policy decision. But you are not listening to our request. No one in charge is willing to talk. Does such uncooperative behavior deserve a victim’s family? You are keeping the body of a child just for money, not even listening to the request of his family, is this an example of what kind of professional behavior? Is this kind of inhumane behavior towards the helpless family of a victim acceptable in post-fascist Bangladesh? After hearing all this, he assured me that he would resolve the matter himself.’

Hasnat wrote, ‘This is the main story. But in the context of this incident, what journalist Zillur Rahman said in his video is completely fabricated and baseless lies. The one-sided statement he made after hearing the fabricated story of his previously known doctor and without taking any statement from me does not in any way fall within the definition of impartial journalism.’

He wrote, ‘At least a reliable journalist like Zillur Rahman, who has been vocal and strong against fascism for a long time, from whose mouth we have gained the strength and courage to overthrow the fascist, murderer Hasina after seeing the truth presented as truth and lies as lies; we never expect such one-sided, baseless and biased statements from him. His statement and the subsequent publicity are deeply disappointing to us.’

Finally, Hasnat wrote, ‘This kind of biased statement without any verification of truth or falsehood based on previous acquaintances seriously questions the objectivity of journalist Zillur Rahman. Whether any of his statements can be accepted impartially in the future is also a questionable issue.’

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