Rumor Scanner Bangladesh
Search
Fact CheckPolitical

Video of BNP Supporters’ Torch Rally Circulated by Indian Media as Awami League’s

The verdict date for three accused, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in the case of crimes against humanity during the July Mass Uprising was initially set for November 13, which was later changed to November 17. In response to this verdict, the politically banned Awami League announced a ‘lockdown’ program in the capital Dhaka on November 13. Against this backdrop, a video claiming to show a torch rally of Awami League activists regarding the Sheikh Hasina verdict has been circulated by multiple Indian media outlets.

The following outlets circulated the video, claiming it showed Awami League activists: Republic Bangla (Facebook, YouTube, TikTok), News18, Asianet News, Swadesh News, Bhaskar, News Algebra, Prime TV India, RM Global TV, News Nation TV, Batesi TV.

The same video was also seen circulating on Indian X (formerly Twitter) accounts. See: here (Archive), here (Archive), here (Archive).

The same video was also seen circulating on Indian Facebook accounts. See: here (Archive), here (Archive), here (Archive).

See the post circulated by a Bangladeshi Facebook account here (Archive).

Fact Check

Rumor Scanner Team’s investigation reveals that the video in question is not a torch rally of Awami League activists regarding the Sheikh Hasina verdict. The party itself did not hold any such torch rally. In fact, the video is of a torch rally held by supporters of BNP leader Haji Aminur Rashid Yasin from the Cumilla-6 constituency on the evening of November 11 at Cumilla city’s Town Hall ground, protesting his failure to receive a nomination. This torch rally video is being circulated with the sensational claim.

The investigation found a video posted on November 11 from a Facebook page named ‘Cumilla South District and Metropolitan BNP’. The video matches the one being circulated.

The post claimed that on November 11, supporters announced they would continue the movement until Haji Aminur Rashid Yasin was nominated for the Cumilla-6 constituency.

This confirms that the scenes are from the torch rally of Haji Aminur Rashid Yasin’s supporters from Cumilla-6 constituency.

Following this lead, another video was found on the Facebook account of Humayun Kabir, the Cumilla District Correspondent for ATN News, published on the same date. The visuals in this video also match the video in question. Humayun Kabir stated in the post that this was the scene of the torch rally demanding Haji Yasin be announced as the party candidate.

Subsequently, a relevant keyword search found another video of the same rally on the YouTube channel of Somoy TV, which made the same claim.

To further verify the matter, the Rumor Scanner Team contacted multiple local media professionals and BNP leaders.

Khaled Saifullah, Bureau Chief for Ekattor TV in Cumilla district, stated: “I confirm this is the video of the torch rally held by supporters of BNP leader Haji Aminur Rashid Yasin at Cumilla Town Hall on November 11.”

Tanvir Dipu, Cumilla Correspondent for bdnews24, stated: “The video is of the torch rally held by activists of BNP leader Haji Aminur Rashid Yasin on the evening of November 11.”

Mansur Nizami, an organizer of the movement sparked by Haji Aminur Rashid Yasin not receiving a nomination and a member of the Cumilla District Volunteer Party Convening Committee, stated: “This is our video. The location is Town Hall Ground and Pubali Chattar. The grassroots BNP activists and leaders, in support of Haji Aminur Rashid Yasin, who was deprived of the nomination for the Cumilla-6 constituency, took out a torch rally from the Cumilla Town Hall ground on November 11, the 9th day of their continuous program. This is the video of that rally.”

This confirms that the circulated video is a torch rally of BNP activists.

Therefore, the video of the BNP activists’ torch rally in Cumilla on November 11 is being promoted by Indian media as an Awami League activists’ torch rally regarding the Sheikh Hasina verdict, which is completely false.

Sources

Share: