Press Club of India condemns remarks by Shafiqul Alam

The Press Club of India has strongly condemned comments made by Shafiqul Alam, the official spokesperson of the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s government, describing them as “reprehensible”.

In a Facebook post on November 11, Shafiqul Alam referred to reporters from several media outlets in India and abroad, who recently interviewed former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as “Western journalists and their Indian bootlicking counterparts”.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Press Club of India said the remarks were unacceptable, especially as Mr Alam himself is a former journalist.

“To describe professionals from responsible media outlets pursuing a genuine news story as ‘bootlicking’ journalists is certainly not expected from a person in a responsible position,” the statement read.

The Press Club of India condemned the remarks and sought an apology from Shafiqul Alam.