Not Rafi, the flag-wrapped body is Jahidul, killed in the July Movement
A debate has started on social media over the photo of a young man’s flag-wrapped body. Several posts claim he is “Shaheed Rafi,” who died in the July Movement last year. Some other posts claim the photo shows a July Movement activist named Rafi, who is still alive. These claims have created confusion and discussion on social media. Dismislab’s fact-check shows that since last year, the photo has been spreading at different times in the name of an activist named Rafi, who was injured in the anti-discrimination movement in Pabna. But Dismislab confirmed that the photo is not of Rafi. The photo is of Md. Jahidul Islam, a student of Pabna Polytechnic Institute. Jahidul was shot dead on August 4, 2024 while participating in the anti-discrimination student movement. After seeing the photo, Jahidul’s family confirmed the matter to Dismislab.
One year of misidentification
On July 4, 2025, a Facebook page named History of July, which works on the July uprising, shared the photo of a flag-wrapped person in remembrance of those killed in the uprising. The caption read, “My father has died. Please take care of my sister—these were Rafi’s last words before his death. This July, we deeply remember people like Rafi, who sacrificed their lives for the country.”
Several other Facebook posts (1, 2, 3) also spread the photo in Rafi’s name. Fact-checking shows this claim is not new. Since 2024, the same photo and statement have been circulating online. On August 4, 2024, several Facebook posts (1, 2, 3, 4) and one X account shared the photo claiming he was “Rafi killed in Pabna.” At that time, the photo spread in the name of Rafiul Islam Rafi, who was actually injured in the anti-discrimination student movement in Pabna.
Fact-checking organization Boom directly spoke with Rafi at that time and confirmed he was alive. Rafi himself told Boom that he never said anything like: “My father is dead, I have a younger sister. Someone please look after her.”In an interview given to local news outlet PabnaBartaNews24.com, he also rejected the death rumor.
However, when the rumor spread in 2024, both Boom and Rumor Scanner verified the claim, but the identity of the person in the photo was not checked. As a result, the photo kept spreading at different times in Rafi’s name.
A dead man claimed to be alive
This year, the photo spread again, claiming it was Rafi and that he is alive. On 5 July, a Facebook ID named Rebellious Roar posted a collage of multiple screenshots with the photo. The post read: “My father is dead. I have a little sister. Someone please look after her. Seeing these kinds of emotions, anyone would get an orgasm. Later, he came back from the July martyr’s grave and gave an interview to the media. Lol! Throughout July, Estonia’s Aminul did all this. The poor guy hoped to become vice-chancellor of Begum Rokeya University. (Throughout July, the July scam will be exposed. Whoever has any rumors, please send them to the inbox/comments. Thanks.)”
Several posts (1, 2, 3, 4) spread the claim.
Verification of the photo
A reverse image search found a post from August 7 last year. The post said, “In Pabna district, Jahid was the first to be martyred. Jahid’s home is Char Balarampur, Bharara Union, Pabna Sadar, Pabna. Jahid had three brothers and one sister! Jahid was a quiet, polite boy in the area. I have never seen him speak harshly to anyone. He was such a good person that words can’t describe. They say good people don’t stay long in this world. May Allah accept my nephew as a martyr and grant him Jannatul Ferdous.”
That post contained not only the same photo but also two more photos of the body from different angles. Searching further about Jahidul Islam, killed in the anti-discrimination movement in Pabna, multiple news reports were found on him. According to a report by Dainik Ajker Patrika, “In the anti-discrimination student movement, two students were shot dead in Pabna on August 4. Among them was nineteen-year-old Jahidul Islam.”
The report further said, “Jahidul Islam was the son of Dulal Uddin and Afia Khatun of Char Balarampur village in Pabna Sadar upazila. He was a 6th-semester student of the Electronics Department at Pabna Polytechnic Institute. He was the third among three brothers and one sister. His father is a government primary schoolteacher, and his mother is a housewife.”
Dainik Kaler Kantho also published a report on Jahidul Islam. Information is also available about Md. Jahidul Islam’s identity and his role in the July Movement on a website named July Shohid dot com.
For further confirmation, Dismislab directly contacted his family. After seeing the photo, Jahidul’s elder brother, Md. Touhidul Islam, confirmed that the person wrapped in the flag is Md. Jahidul Islam. Jahid was shot during a protest on 4 August, and he died soon after.
Jahidul Islam’s father also confirmed the identity of his son, and said Jahidul died during the July uprising last year.
