DHAKA: A report by the fact-checking organization Rumor Scanner has debunked claims made by an Indian media outlet that Pakistani armed forces were patrolling in Bangladesh. The investigation found that the individuals seen in a widely circulated video were members of Bangladesh’s Crisis Response Team (CRT), not Pakistani military personnel, as initially reported by Aaj Tak Bangla, a Kolkata-based media outlet.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the video in question has been widely shared on social media, with allegations suggesting that Pakistani special forces had entered the court premises of Rajshahi. Aaj Tak Bangla’s video report claimed that members of Pakistan’s Punjab SWAT team had arrived in Dhaka, further fueling misinformation.
The investigation by Rumor Scanner revealed that the video actually depicted members of Bangladesh’s CRT providing security during a court appearance of former Rajshahi-3 MP and Awami League leader Asaduzzaman Asad on December 12. The uniform of the CRT members displayed the word “CRT” and featured the Bangladesh flag, confirming their identity as part of the Bangladesh Police’s specialized team.
Additional verification by Jago News, which published a related video report titled “Tensions around prison van on December 13 – Former MP Asad attacked with eggs,” corroborated Rumor Scanner’s findings. The Jago News report detailed an incident where Asaduzzaman Asad’s prison van was attacked by BNP-Jamaat activists as he was being transported to the Metropolitan Magistrate Court-1 in Rajshahi.
Further investigation into the CRT by Jagonews24 confirmed that the team is a specialized unit of the Bangladesh Police, established to handle violent situations, militancy, and drug smuggling. The CRT began its operations in Sylhet, expanding to regions including Chattogram and Rajshahi.
The false claims of Pakistani forces in Bangladesh were thus conclusively debunked by the Rumor Scanner’s thorough examination of the evidence, emphasizing the importance of fact-checking in the age of viral misinformation.