Ex-BBC Bangla Head Sabir Mostafa: No Mass Killing Happened at Shapla Chattar

Sabir Mostafa, former head of BBC Bangla, has clarified his long-standing position regarding the controversy over the events of 5 May 2013 at Shapla Chattar and the claims from various quarters describing it as a “mass killing.” He firmly stated that no massacre took place during the law enforcement operation at Shapla Chattar that night. BBC Bangla journalists who were present on the ground reported exactly what they witnessed.

In a recent interview given to a television channel, Sabir Mostafa said that BBC correspondent Kadir Kallol was present at Shapla Chattar from midnight until 4 AM that night. Sabir himself was in constant communication with him from London.

Rumors vs. Reality

Sabir Mostafa said, “That night, social media—especially Twitter—was flooded with claims that 100 to 500 people had been killed, bodies were being hidden, and the streets were being washed clean. I repeatedly asked our reporter whether he had seen any such thing. Kadir Kallol told us that there was no ‘live firing’ and he had not seen anyone being killed. There were not even bullet marks on walls or bloodstains on the road.”

Questioning the Human Rights Lists

Despite human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Odhikar providing lists of 58 and 61 deaths respectively, Sabir Mostafa stated that when asked how many people died specifically during the night-time operation at Shapla Chattar, they could not provide a single name.

Where Did the Deaths Occur?

The former head of BBC Bangla said that on 5 and 6 May, many people were killed in clashes between Hefazat activists and police and Awami League workers in Dhaka, Hathazari, Barguna, and Narayanganj. At that time, BBC confirmed and reported the deaths of around 20 people. But regarding what is repeatedly referred to as the “Shapla Chattar massacre,” he claimed that no such incident occurred inside Shapla Chattar during the main operation.

BBC’s Position

Regarding accusations that BBC tried to cover up what happened at Shapla Chattar, Sabir Mostafa stated firmly, “I don’t care who says what. Because we know what actually happened at Shapla Chattar that day. Our reporters reported only what they saw on the ground and what we were able to verify—with complete integrity.”