Fake Twitter handle used for anti-Awami League campaign

Dhaka, April 2 British-born pro-Pakistan activist David Bergman, the son-in-law of Bangladesh's Opposition Leader Kamal Hossain, has referred to a fake Twitter handle that made a false claim about the ruling Awami League supporting a "Netra News" (pro-Pakistan and 'Hate-India' media) article on Twitter, according to reports.

"Good to see Awami League's Twitter Handle publicity and media cell posting a 'Like' reaction to a story carried by Netra News on Bangladesh that did not even get picked by any national or international outlet," Bergman had written.

His claim, however, turned out to be false, as the so-called 'Like' for the Netra News article was not made by the official page of Awami League, but by a fake account that claimed to be 'Awami League media cell'.

Reacting to this, award-winning veteran freedom fighter and president of Bangabondhu Parishad USA, Nuran Nabi, told : "Recently, the anti-liberation force and their followers have been using social media, mass media and also fake accounts against the pro-liberation ruling party Awami League and the freedom fighters. David Bergman is one of the members of that team."

"Awami league has a verified Twitter account, so he is obviously wrong," Nabi added.

Bergman, known for making controversial statements regarding the war crimes trial, has come up with a series of smear campaigns against the freedom fighters, supporting the war criminals of 1971 on the media fora.

During the Covid pandemic outbreak, Bergman used his offshore outlet Netra News to "predict" millions of deaths in Bangladesh.

His father-in-law Kamal Hossain during the last elections had made a "furious yet futile" vow to bring down Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In the recent past, Hossain reiterated plans to unseat Hasina, drawing criticism from anti-war crime campaigners and progressive quarters for his siding with pro-Pakistan parties.

For peddling pro-Pakistan narratives in Bangladesh related to the 1971 Liberation War through his blogs and reportage, Bergman had been subjected to contempt of court charges in Bangladesh.