False Frames Fuelled by Fakes: AL Propaganda Accused of Misleading Public on Gopalganj Clashes
A press statement from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing has accused a coordinated group aligned with the Awami League (AL) of circulating misleading and unrelated images on social media to distort the narrative around the recent deadly clashes in Gopalganj.
According to a statement published on the verified Facebook page of CA Press Wing Fact Check, “On July 16, multiple accounts affiliated with the banned Awami League shared various posts on social media concerning the Gopalganj clashes. The objective was to present fabricated narratives about the violent incidents of the day.”
The statement further claimed that prominent AL sympathizers, including former Chhatra League leader S.M. Zakir Hossain and former Deputy Press Secretary to ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Ashraful Alam Khokon, were among those who shared misleading content. It added, “As part of an orchestrated propaganda campaign, influential AL supporters shared old and unrelated images, falsely portraying them as scenes from the July 16 violence.”
One image showed locals carrying an injured youth with fires burning in the background, which was presented as evidence of the Gopalganj unrest. However, investigation confirmed the image was from a different incident dated August 10, 2024.
Another widely circulated image, shared by Zakir Hossain and Ashraful Alam Khokon, showed a Detective Branch (DB) officer firing at protestors. The press wing clarified, “In reality, this photo is from December 8, 2022, during a BNP rally in Narayanganj where DB officer Konok was seen firing at the crowd.”
Zakir Hossain also shared an image of injured individuals receiving medical treatment, claiming it to be the aftermath of the Gopalganj clashes. But the statement said, “This image too was from a completely different incident on March 20, 2023.”
Another example of the misinformation campaign involved a digitally edited image of a child holding a stick, shared by Nijhum Majumdar—allegedly a well-known AL-aligned online propagandist. The image, falsely claimed to have been taken in Gopalganj on July 16, suggested that children were being involved in political violence. The press wing clarified that the original video was from Safipur in Gazipur and had been circulating on social media since August 2023.
In addition to these misleading visuals, the statement noted that AL-affiliated accounts falsely alleged that the Bangladesh Army had indiscriminately fired upon civilians—claims the press wing said were baseless and intended to misdirect public opinion.
The statement emphasized, “Contrary to these fabricated posts, verified evidence tells a completely different story.”
The violence on July 16 reportedly began after a scheduled rally in Gopalganj, when supporters of the Awami League and Chhatra League allegedly attacked the motorcade of central leaders of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP). The situation quickly devolved into chaos, leading to intense clashes between law enforcement and AL-linked groups.
According to media reports, at least four people were killed. Several vehicles, including a police van and the car of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), were attacked and set on fire. As the situation spiraled out of control, authorities imposed a strict curfew in Gopalganj from 8 p.m. on July 16 until 6 p.m. the following day.
The press wing concluded, “In stark contrast to events on the ground, AL-affiliated social media networks deliberately flooded timelines with deceptive, contextless, and fabricated images.”
