Fake Facebook Account Fuels Anti-Interim Government Propaganda
A fake Facebook account under the name “Tamanna Akter Yasmin” has been accused of spreading anti-Bangladesh propaganda and targeting the interim government, according to a statement released by the Press Wing of the Chief Adviser to the Government.
In a post on its verified Facebook page, the CA Press Wing stated that the account in question is “spreading false and fabricated narratives supportive of the ousted Awami League and against the interim government.”
Investigations revealed that the account is based entirely on a fabricated identity. It allegedly uses stolen images and videos of Reem Al Hashimy, the Minister of State for International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, to create a deceptive persona suggesting support for the Awami League from a high-level international figure.
Metadata analysis shows the account was created on November 24, 2023, and is operated from Bangladesh. Within just seven months, the account has garnered over 14,000 followers.
The account’s visuals and narrative styling are designed to give the impression that an influential female global leader is endorsing the Awami League on international platforms.
One of the recent posts, published on June 19, falsely claimed that a Swiss court had exonerated Sheikh Hasina and 334 others in a case related to alleged embezzlement from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project. The post further claimed that courts in Russia and Australia had issued similar rulings.
In another post, the account falsely stated that India and the European Union had imposed or were about to impose sanctions on Bangladesh’s Election Commission. The post also alleged that the EU was sending a letter outlining seven specific sanctions. Additionally, the same fake profile claimed to have met with India’s Prime Minister during the recent G7 Summit—a claim entirely unfounded.
A post dated June 17 falsely claimed that Ireland had terminated trade relations with Bangladesh. In a separate post the same day, the profile alleged that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus that he would ensure Awami League’s security to contest the next national elections freely.
The CA Press Wing refuted these claims in its statement, declaring, “All of these statements are completely false. There is no truth to any of the propaganda disseminated from this account.”
The statement also clarified that no court proceedings regarding the Rooppur project have taken place in Switzerland, Russia, or Australia, nor have any rulings been issued in those countries.
It further emphasized that neither India nor the European Union has imposed or threatened any sanctions on Bangladesh’s Election Commission. Likewise, Ireland has not severed trade relations with Bangladesh, and none of these claims have been reported by credible domestic or international news outlets.
A post-analysis of the account from June 1 to June 15 shows that out of 103 posts, 83 featured images of Reem Al Hashimy, 18 praised Sheikh Hasina, and 6 attacked Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, including claims about canceled meetings and fictitious sanctions.
The statement noted, “What stands out is that every post about Professor Yunus is negative, while Sheikh Hasina is portrayed in an exclusively positive light.”
The CA Press Wing believes this misinformation campaign originated in pro-Awami League Facebook groups and was later amplified across multiple platforms including X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
