Chattogram : The Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) has strongly criticized Reuters for publishing a report that it says contained fabricated comments attributed to a police officer. The report in question covered the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif during clashes between police and Hindu protesters in Chattogram on Tuesday.

The CMP claims that Reuters falsely quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Liaquat Ali Khan in its article titled “One killed in Bangladesh as Hindu protesters clash with police.” According to the CMP, Khan was not contacted by Reuters for comment and did not make the statement attributed to him.

The police force condemned the publication of fabricated quotes, stating that it is a serious breach of journalistic ethics and undermines the credibility of both the media outlet and the police. They urged Reuters and other media organizations to exercise greater responsibility in their reporting.

This incident follows a separate complaint from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, which accused some Indian media outlets of falsely claiming that Saiful Islam Alif was representing Chinmoy Krishna Das, the spokesperson for the Sanatan Jagaran Jote whose arrest sparked the protests.

The clashes occurred on Tuesday afternoon after Das was denied bail. He had been arrested on charges of “hurting religious sentiments.” During the ensuing violence, Saiful Islam was reportedly abducted from the court area and murdered.