Bangladesh's National Citizen Party (NCP) on Friday accused several mainstream media outlets owned by the Bashundhara Group of running a coordinated campaign to discredit the July Mass Uprising and its leaders, while calling on the government to swiftly establish an independent Media Commission.

In a statement, the party alleged that Kaler Kantho, Bangladesh Pratidin, Daily Sun and Banglanews, all operated by East West Media Limited, had repeatedly published "false" and "evidence-free" reports targeting NCP leaders, particularly the party's Chief Organizer (Southern Region), Hasnat Abdullah, MP.

The NCP claimed the alleged campaign intensified after Abdullah accused the outlets during a parliamentary speech of promoting narratives in favor of the Awami League and raised allegations of money laundering involving a business group.

Citing an analysis by investigative platform The Dissent, the party said the Bashundhara-owned outlets published 99 "negative" reports on Abdullah within an 80-hour period between June 28 and July 1, alleging that many of the stories were identical and appeared across multiple platforms within a short time.

The party also alleged that repeated publication of what it described as false reports about the July Mass Uprising and its leaders had eroded public confidence in sections of the media, while accusing some television talk shows of amplifying narratives favorable to the Awami League.

Calling for greater journalistic responsibility, the NCP urged media organizations to uphold professional standards and appealed to television channels not to invite individuals it described as defenders of the Awami League as hosts or commentators.

The party also renewed its call for the government to implement its pledge to establish an independent Media Commission.