Publishing news without verification is an outright injustice — especially when it concerns the head of one of Bangladesh’s major political parties. Political analysts have termed this kind of reporting a serious setback for journalism in the country.

Broadcasting such false information without fact-checking has become laughable to the general public. The behavior of certain journalists and media outlets has reached a level that even ordinary people discuss it in disbelief. Because of some inexperienced and assumption-based reporting, frustration now dominates the entire media industry.

The question arises: Where is Bangladesh’s multimedia journalism heading?

A toxic race has begun to publish news first — without verifying its accuracy. This unhealthy journalism is spreading confusion among the public.

According to independent investigation by the reporter, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tareq Rahman is in perfect health. However, when he was slightly delayed in attending an event in London, Bangla Tribune published a speculative report suggesting otherwise. Later, The Daily Ittefaq Online copied that report without verification.

BNP has officially confirmed that Tareq Rahman is completely fine.

BNP’s Information and Technology Affairs Secretary A.K.M. Wahiduzzaman (Apollo) wrote in a Facebook post that “The report published by Ittefaq is incorrect. The Acting Chairman of BNP, Tareq Rahman, is in good health.”

Meanwhile, BNP Media Cell Convener Maudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel also confirmed that the report was false. He urged all journalists to verify information before publishing.

This raises an important question: How could such a report appear in one of Bangladesh’s oldest and most respected newspapers? What was the motive behind it? As a member of the media and a responsible citizen, I urge The Daily Ittefaq authorities to issue an official clarification before the nation.

Journalist leader Morsalin Nomani strongly condemned and protested this kind of reporting.

He stated that “assumption-based journalism is damaging the image of the media. It’s pushing professional journalism toward a state of deep disrespect.”