Dhaka: FactWatch has identified a fabricated video created from an old speech of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia that is being circulated on social media in an attempt to spread misinformation and mislead the public.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a fabricated video has recently gone viral on Facebook in which Khaleda Zia is heard saying, ‘Our Rizvi Ahmed is spineless and a worthless person.’ However, an investigation by FactWatch found that the viral video was manipulated. The clip was created by cutting and altering a long speech delivered by Begum Khaleda Zia in London in 2015.
FactWatch stated that Khaleda Zia did not make such a remark about Rizvi Ahmed; she had described the then Chief Election Commissioner as ‘spineless.’ The same edited video had also gone viral on Facebook earlier this year, in January.
Fact-checking organizations reported that since last year, the tendency to spread misinformation about Bangladesh has increased through Indian media outlets, India-based social media accounts, and some local Facebook pages. Such disinformation is being spread particularly against the interim government, as well as parties and organizations involved in the 2024 movement.