Disinformation Drive: Awami Propaganda Floods Social Media Amid Gopalganj Unrest
On July 16, social media was flooded with false claims, misleading images, and manipulated videos attempting to distort the narrative around the deadly clashes in Gopalganj that left at least four dead. Much of the disinformation was traced back to accounts affiliated with the now-banned Awami League and its outlawed student wing, Chhatra League.
One of the most prominent figures caught red-handed in spreading misinformation was former ICT adviser to the ousted Awami League regime, Sajeeb Wazed Joy. On July 16 at 10:00 p.m., Joy posted a video on his verified social media handle, claiming that police were firing on unarmed protesters. The footage, however, was soon identified as being from a previous incident in Brahmanbaria, not Gopalganj. Fact-checker Kadruddin Shishir debunked the claim by sharing the original source of the video. Following backlash, Joy deleted the post, but not before it went viral under the hashtag “#SajeebKella.”
Simultaneously, several old and unrelated photographs circulated with false captions suggesting they were from the Gopalganj unrest. One widely shared photo labeled as “armed Awami terrorists in Gopalganj” was, in fact, from a 2024 protest in Chattogram. However, video evidence from July 16 confirmed that armed Awami League affiliates were indeed seen in Gopalganj.
The Private University Students’ Alliance of Bangladesh also issued a cautionary post warning against Awami League’s “disinformation spree,” sharing a video titled “Falsehoods Spread by Awami League in Gopalganj.”
In a reflective post, NCP leader Sarjis Alam quoted a message from a local in Gopalganj:
“Many rumors are spreading. But one thing is clear—we now understand well that in times of crisis, Sheikh Hasina ensured her own family’s safety first and left the rest of us behind. A few benefited, but the rest of us suffered. We are not so naive to still stand for someone who never stood for us.”
Despite rumors about internet shutdowns in Gopalganj, the banned Awami League's verified Facebook page released a misleading video claiming “March 25 Reenacted in Gopalganj.” The video bore the hashtag “#ShootDirectly,” although no civilians could be seen within range of the military personnel in the footage. A recently launched page titled “Fact Detector Bangladesh” also spread unverified content, claiming the “army’s boot attack in Gopalganj” was real—despite lack of visual evidence.
Responding to the barrage of misinformation, the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing released a fact-check statement on its verified Facebook page:
“On July 16, several posts were disseminated from social media accounts linked to the banned Awami League, aimed at establishing fabricated narratives around that day’s violence in Gopalganj.”
The statement noted a coordinated propaganda campaign in which prominent Awami League loyalists shared old and unrelated photos, falsely portraying them as evidence of the day’s events.
Among those involved were former Chhatra League leader S. M. Zakir Hossain and ex-press aide to Sheikh Hasina, Ashraful Alam Khokon. They posted photos accusing “Yunus Gang” and opposition activists of inciting violence against civilians. One image showed an injured youth being carried by locals with fire in the background. Investigation revealed the image was from a separate incident on August 10, 2024.
In another manipulated post, a photo of a Detective Branch (DB) officer firing a weapon at protesters was shared, claiming it occurred in Gopalganj. Fact-checkers clarified the image was actually from a December 8, 2022 BNP rally in Narayanganj, showing DB officer Konok discharging his weapon.
Zakir Hossain also posted images of severely injured individuals receiving treatment in hospitals, asserting they were victims of the Gopalganj violence. The image was traced back to a completely unrelated event on March 20, 2023.
One particularly alarming post featured a child holding a stick, falsely labeled as a participant in the Gopalganj clashes. A digitally altered version of the photo was even shared by Nishum Majumdar, known as a pro-Awami online propagandist. The original image, however, was from a 2023 video shot in Safipur, Gazipur—not Gopalganj.
Alongside this flood of misinformation, pro-Awami League accounts baselessly alleged that the Bangladesh Army had indiscriminately opened fire on civilians. The Press Wing clarified that these claims were part of a deliberate campaign to mislead the public.
According to verified reports, the violence began when members of the outlawed Awami League and Chhatra League attacked the motorcade of National Citizen Party (NCP) leaders following a scheduled rally in Gopalganj city. The situation quickly escalated into violent confrontations between law enforcement and pro-Awami groups.
Media reports confirm that four individuals were killed during the clashes, with damage reported to police vehicles and the car of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). In response to the deteriorating situation, a strict curfew was imposed from 8:00 p.m. on July 16 to 6:00 p.m. on July 17.
The Chief Adviser’s Press Wing concluded:
“In contrast to the facts on the ground, a coordinated circle of pro-Awami social media users attempted to saturate timelines with irrelevant, misleading, and manipulated content to distort the reality of the Gopalganj events.”
