Fact checking organisation disMislab on Sunday published a report detailing how old photographs and videos are being circulated online as part of an effort to spread misinformation about ongoing one-point movement of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Researcher Tamara Yesmin of disMislab has written the report.
The report has been rewritten in English for the readers of Prothom Alo English online.
A tendency of sharing old photographs, videos and screengrabs of news reports centring different political rallies and protest processions claiming those as recent incidents is becoming evident. This was also seen over the rallies of de facto opposition BNP and governing Awami League on 28 and 29 July. Both the parties have been sharing old photographs, videos and screengrabs of news reports claiming those as recent. disMislab found at least eight such instances. Even the people involved in critical posts of the government have also been seen sharing such posts.
Recently elected MP of Dhaka-17 constituency, Mohammad A Arafat, shared four photos describing those as photos of BNP’s sit-in programme enforced on 29 July. In the caption he wrote, “A glimpse of #BNP’s terrorist activities today. They are coming back ot their original character!”
But it was found that at least three of the photos were older. Several factcheckers highlighted the matter instantly.
The first photo that Arafat posted shows a youth wearing a white shirt is attacking a police member. But the photograph was found to be at least eight years’ old. The photo was used with a report of online news portal, Jago News 24, in 2015.
The second picture showing some youth with sticks on hand before a police vehicle is also not from BNP’s recent programme. The picture was published in a story headlined ‘Attack on police in Shahbagh: report on 13 March’ in 2021.
The picture was taken during a clash at Shahbagh between protesters and police at a rally organised demanding justice over the custodial death of writer Mustaq Ahmed and annulment of Digital Security Act. The third picture is also an old one that was published last year with a story titled ‘Jamaat leaders-activists clash with police, 11 detained’.
State minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam also shared an old picture from his verified Twitter handle. He shared a picture showing a bus of ‘Victor Classic’ paribahan is set ablaze. The picture was of 2020 during a clash in Coca-Cola area in Pragati Sarani. The state minister attached another video with his tweet which was of recent violence.
A blood-soaked picture of BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was shared on Facebook. Although the picture was claimed to be recent, it was actually taken back in 2018 during a BNP rally in Keraniganj.
Moreover, a video was circulated from some Facebook IDs including ‘Bangladesh BNP News’ where a teen is seen confessing about torching a bus and claiming himself to be a Bangladesh Chhatra League member.
This video is at least four years old. This video can be found online dated back from 19-20 March in 2019. The video was taken during the protest centring the death of a student named Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury in a road accident.
Other than this, a report published in Prothom Alo in 2014 with a headline ‘Attempt to set fire to a bus, 3 leaders, activists of Chhatra League detained’ is being circulated as the recent activities of BNP. In fact, they were arrested while trying to set fire to a bus in Magura in 2014. Prothom Alo confirmed in a statement that it is 'propaganda'.
Earlier, several posts (1, 2, 3) were also found to have been shared with an image of a police officer barring a journalist from taking picture during BNP’s grand rally in Dhaka’s Naya Paltan on 28 July.
But, fact-checking found this image was taken during the protest of BNP’s Dhaka city south unit in front of the party’s Naya Paltan office in 2018. Then Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (Motijheel zone) Anwar Hossain obstructed Bangla TV reporter Arman Kaisar and cameraman Manik from taking pictures.
Recently, similar trend have also been seen in India. Old video and images were circulated during ethnic clashes in the Indian state of Manipur, and those have already been fact-checked by mainstream media and fact-checking organisations of the country. Such as, a video, for example, is being circulated claiming that a police member physically assaulting a group of Kuki people. But, fact-checking organisation Boom found the video was recorded last year and the video showed members of law enforcement agencies charging-baton on the activists of a political party during the election of the Manipur legislative assembly.
Video on fire burning churches were circulated on social media in India claiming that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was involved in it, but fact-checkers of the country confirmed that the video was, in fact, originated in France. Similarly, an image showing Meitei people bringing out procession against the Kuki, but fact-checking found this was an anti-narcotic procession.