Teesta torch rally falsely circulated as “waiting for Sheikh Hasina”
A video of a torch rally claiming “everyone is waiting for Apa at midnight” has recently circulated on social media. Disbisslab’s verification shows that the footage is from a torch rally on October 16 demanding the implementation of the Teesta mega-project. It is worth mentioning that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is often referred to as “Apa” by supporters of the Bangladesh Awami League.
A 30-second video circulated from a Facebook profile carried the caption: “Suddenly at midnight,,,, everyone waiting for Apa,, Inshallah, something good will happen soon, Joy Bangla Joy #Bangabandhu.” The video has been shared more than 500 times. The video has also been circulated from multiple other profiles (1, 2, 3, 4).
Verification shows that the video contains the logo of an online media outlet called “Face The People.” A 4:02 minute video uploaded on October 16 on the Facebook page of “Face The People News” matches all the scenes in the video recently circulated with the claim “waiting for Apa.” The caption of the video posted on “Face The People News” reads: “Thousands of people light torches demanding the implementation of the Teesta mega-project.”
Further verification through relevant keyword searches found video reports on the YouTube channels of The Daily Star, Jamuna Television, and Channel Twenty Four. These reports show that on the night of October 16, a torch rally was held in Gangachara, Rangpur, demanding the start of the Teesta mega-project work. Some scenes of torch lighting in these video reports match scenes in the video posted by Face The People.
A report on The Daily Star’s website titled “Northern people agitated with the slogan ‘Wake up Brothers, save Teesta’” states that the torch rally was organized with self-funding demanding the start of the Teesta mega-project even before the announcement of the national election schedule.
Therefore, the torch rally was not about waiting for ‘Apa’ (referring to Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina); it was a protest march with torches demanding the implementation of the Teesta mega-project.
Disclaimer: The original version of this fact-check report was published in Bengali on Dismislab’s Bengali website on October 23, 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.
