Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Mohammad Tajul Islam has said that Sheikh Hasina’s narrative drove the country into a pit, but Generation Z has shattered that myth, calling it a rare historical event that happens perhaps once in a century.

He made these remarks on Saturday at a programme held at the National Art Academy (Shilpakala Academy) in Dhaka, marking the anniversary of the Daily Naya Diganta.

Tajul said, “Journalism once used to be an art of flattery rather than a medium of truth. Instead of asking tough questions, journalists used to indulge in praise. They would ask Hasina why she wasn’t receiving the Nobel Prize. But Generation Z broke that culture — they said in one conversation what we hesitated to say in years.”

Praising the Gen Z movement, he added, “During the July Revolution, Gen Z’s networking ability was beyond imagination. We used to call them ‘farm chickens,’ but they proved to be like the Ababil birds — not only did they topple autocracy, but they chased it all the way to Delhi.”

The chief prosecutor also urged the media to bring forward the stories of repression, disappearances, and the culture of fear under the previous regime — issues that, he said, “the newspapers failed to highlight adequately.”

He added, “The media must now uncover those truths and honor the martyrs’ memory. Otherwise, we will lose the moral right to live in the Bangladesh of tomorrow.”