The claim that Shadik Kayem is campaigning with Pakistan’s flag is false
A photo has spread on Facebook claiming that Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice-President (VP) Shadik Kayem is campaigning with Pakistan’s flag in hand. But Dismislab’s factcheck found that the photo was created by editing the Bangladesh national flag.
On November 29, a personal profile called “Ajker News” posted a photocard saying “Shadik Kayem campaigning with Pakistan’s flag in hand.” The post caption read, “When blood speaks!!!.” The post received about 1,700 reactions and had been shared 779 times. Examination of the comments under the post reveals that many people believed the photo was genuine. One user commented, “Pakistan’s blood will speak out. Shame on them.” Another wrote, “Is the country going into the hands of traitors?”
To verify the image, a picture posted on Shadik Kayem’s verified Facebook profile on November 26 was compared. The profile post caption read, “Only possibilities for the days ahead….” Comparing the circulated photo of Shadik Kayem holding Pakistan’s flag with the picture on his profile shows that, except for the flag in his hand, all other elements are identical. The original post contains three images of Shadik Kayem. In all three, he is standing in a roofless car holding the Bangladesh national flag. The first image matches the circulated photo exactly.
Further verification shows the edited photo was first posted by a satire page named “Anwar TV.” That photocard was posted on November 28. At the bottom of the photocard, there was Anwar TV’s name and an advertisement-like text, which was later cropped out when the photocard was reposted.
Notably, after the DUCSU VP, Shadik Kayem, also the publication secretary of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, visited his home district, Khagrachhari, on November 26. In the afternoon, he received an official reception at his educational institution, Baitush Sharaf Complex in Khagrachhari. Several (1, 2, 3, 4) news outlets reported on this. A November 26 report in Jaijaidin said, “DU DUCSU VP Shadik Kayem arrived in his home district, Khagrachhari, today (Wednesday, Nov 26). Thousands of people from Guimara, Manikchari, and Matiranga gathered on motorcycles to welcome him. He was greeted with floral honors in Guimara’s Jaliapara area.”
Also, multiple outlets (1, 2) published videos of Shadik Kayem’s visit to Khagrachhari. A November 28 video published by Ittefaq had the caption, “Showdown by Shadik Kayem in his area with the national flag in hand.” In that video, Shadik Kayem is seen standing in a roofless car holding Bangladesh’s national flag.
Therefore, the claim that Shadik Kayem is campaigning with Pakistan’s flag in hand is completely baseless. The image was created by editing the Bangladesh national flag in Shadik Kayem’s hand to make it look like Pakistan’s flag.
