Images showing Khaleda Zia walking are AI-generated
Multiple images and videos have been circulating on social media, claiming that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has recovered and can now walk due to the care and efforts by Zubaida Rahman. But Dismislab’s fact-check shows the images and videos are AI-made.
An unverified Facebook page using the name and photo of Zaima Rahman, Tarique Rahman and Zubaida Rahman’s daughter, shared several images (1, 2) of the former prime minister’s health condition. In one image, the caption reads, “Alhamdulillah, due to my mother’s tireless efforts and care, my grandmother is a bit better and can walk. Please pray for her.”
The image shows Khaleda Zia walking while holding Zubaida Rahman’s hand. One user commented, “It was necessary not only to praise the mother but also the entire family. Coco’s wife’s contribution is no less. She has been with her mother-in-law from the beginning.” The post received more than 150,000 reactions and was shared more than 3,700 times.
Another post from the same page combined the same image with several others. One user commented, “Not only the mother’s care, but people across the country prayed in mosques nationwide. That should not be forgotten.” The post was shared more than 1,700 times.
The same page also shared a video claiming Khaleda Zia had recovered. One user commented, “Mashallah, if such care had been given earlier, she would have recovered by now. It is painful that this did not happen.”
Keyword and keyframe searches found no such information about Khaleda Zia’s health from reliable sources or news reports. Contacted, her personal physician and BNP Standing Committee member Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain confirmed to Dismislab that the claim was false and baseless.
AI content detection tools AI or Not, Hive Moderation, and Deepfake-o-Meter also found that the images and video were almost certainly generated using artificial intelligence.
Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital on November 23 due to health complications. On December 10, Dr. Zahid Hossain told a press briefing that her physical condition remained unchanged. He said she is receiving the best possible treatment in Bangladesh and may be taken abroad if necessary.
In short, the images and video claiming Khaleda Zia has recovered and can walk are not real and were created using artificial intelligence. Dismislab has previously fact-checked AI-generated videos spreading false claims about Khaleda Zia’s illness.
