Video of ailing Khaleda Zia asking for prayers from hospital is AI-generated
A video has been circulating on YouTube showing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia lying on a hospital bed, delivering an emotional message to the nation. In the video, she appears wearing hospital clothes and speaking. She talks about being taken to London and asks the nation for prayers. She’s also seen giving a message about elections. However, a fact-check by Dismislab has revealed that this video was created using AI.
On December 7, a channel called “Nojorbondi short” posted a video on YouTube with the headline: “Emotional speech by ailing Khaleda Zia from hospital | She asked the nation for prayers.” The video has been viewed over 300,000 times and received 5,200 reactions so far.
In the video, Khaleda Zia can be heard saying: “Dear countrymen, I was supposed to be sent to London for treatment, but they didn’t send me to London. My condition isn’t very good. I don’t know if I’ll be able to return to you all. But I want to tell everyone in the country one thing — in the upcoming election, if I’m not there, please vote wisely. Don’t vote for any extortionist, whoever they may be. Put an honest, brave, and good person in government. And everyone, please pray sincerely to Allah for me. And to stay updated about me, please subscribe to this channel.”
Analysis shows the video contains Google’s AI assistant Gemini’s logo in the bottom right corner. Additionally, there are noticeable differences between Khaleda Zia’s actual face and the person in the video. The speech pattern also doesn’t match that of the former prime minister.
Furthermore, using the latest model of “Deepfake-O-Meter,” an AI-generated content detection tool called AVSRDD (2025), it was found that there’s a 99.99% probability that this video was created using AI. This indicates a very high likelihood that the YouTube video was made using artificial intelligence.
Multiple news outlets (1, 2) have reported that Khaleda Zia’s trip to London for treatment has been delayed due to considerations about her physical condition.
Since the night of November 23, Khaleda Zia has been receiving treatment under the observation of local and foreign doctors at Evercare Hospital. According to a report published in The Daily Star on December 6, Khaleda Zia’s personal physician Dr. A Z M Zahid told the media: “Khaleda Zia’s physical condition will determine when she can be taken abroad for treatment. Our medical air ambulance is ready at all times now.”
In other words, the video showing an ailing Khaleda Zia in the hospital asking the nation for prayers was created using AI.
Disclaimer: The original version of this fact-check report was published in Bengali on Dismislab’s Bengali website on December 7, 2025. The English translation was completed later; however, to maintain time accuracy and avoid any potential misinterpretation, the English version has been published with the original publication date.
