Recently, two screenshots have been circulated on social media claiming that two separate photocards quoting BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman were published on the Facebook pages of national dailies Kaler Kantho and Kalbela. The first screengrab attributes a headline to Kaler Kantho stating, “Within a week, a date must be set for elections on December 6 and the roadmap finalized. Otherwise, after Eid, the government will be forced through a strong movement.” The second claims Kalbela quoted Rahman as saying, “Elections must be held by December 6, and if a roadmap is not given within this week, there will be a strong movement after Eid.” Both photocards present different layouts but carry similar quotes and thematic messaging.
Fact-check
An investigation by the Rumor Scanner team found no evidence that Kaler Kantho or Kalbela published any news report or photocard with such statements quoting Tarique Rahman regarding a December election deadline. In fact, the photocards circulated in Rahman’s name were digitally manipulated using content editing technology. They do not originate from the verified pages of these outlets.
Verification of the Kaler Kantho photocard
The scrutinized photocard bearing the Kaler Kantho logo shows a publication date of April 29, 2025. Based on this detail, all photocards posted on Kaler Kantho’s official Facebook page for that date were reviewed. No photocard was found with the aforementioned quote or headline. Moreover, no relevant report matching the claim was found on the website or YouTube channel of Kalbela either. However, a legitimate Kaler Kantho photocard quoting Tarique Rahman was discovered, published on May 29, stating, “We believe, if their intention is genuine, they will conduct elections in December after finalizing the proposed reforms. However, elections are also possible before December.” Analysis shows that the design and image used in the forged photocard closely resemble this original one. But the headline in the doctored version does not match the authentic one, indicating that the fake photocard was created by editing the original using digital tools.
In this claim, only one screenshot is circulating on social media. The screenshot indicates that the post was captured 26 minutes after it was published. It shows 667 reactions, 66 comments, and 11 shares. If Kaler Kantho had indeed published such a news piece and then deleted it within 26 minutes, it would likely have resulted in multiple screenshots surfacing with varying interactions and timestamps. However, in this instance, only a single screenshot is being circulated.
Verification of the Kalbela photocard
The examined Kalbela photocard also carries the outlet’s logo and states a publication date of April 29, 2025. Based on this information, all photocards posted on Kalbela’s verified Facebook page on that date were checked. No photocard was found with the headline as claimed. Furthermore, no relevant news matching the claim was located on Kalbela’s website or YouTube channel.
A photocard quoting Tarique Rahman titled “Elections are possible before December” was found on Kalbela’s verified Facebook page. This authentic photocard’s design is visually similar to the one circulated with the fabricated claim. However, the fake card’s headline does not match that of the original. Also, while the original card contains an advertisement at the bottom, the forged version omits it. This difference suggests that the forged photocard was created by digitally altering the original.
Here too, only one screenshot is found circulating on social media. It was taken 8 minutes after the post’s publication and shows 378 reactions, 21 comments, and 5 shares. If Kalbela had deleted such a post within 8 minutes, it is reasonable to expect that multiple versions of the screenshot with varying user engagements would have been shared across social media. Yet, in this case, only a single screenshot is available.
Therefore, the photocards and Facebook post screenshots, purportedly quoting Tarique Rahman on elections in December and attributed to Kaler Kantho and Kalbela, are manipulated.
Original News Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/fake-screenshots-kaler-kantho-kalbela-tarique-rahman-election-by-december/152503
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Fact-Check Alert
Please be aware of misleading information about Bangladesh politics on social media and verify sources before sharing.
Before sharing any photocard, always verify it by checking the original media source.
Sharing religious misinformation and disinformation can cause harm. Always verify before sharing.
Before sharing any photocard, always verify it by checking the original media source.
Sharing religious misinformation and disinformation can cause harm. Always verify before sharing.