The claim that a National Citizen Party (NCP) activist vandalized a Shapla sculpture after the party failed to receive the Shapla symbol has been proven false. The National Citizen Party (NCP) is in the process of obtaining registration from the Election Commission as a political party. From the beginning, the party has requested the Shapla (water lily) as its electoral symbol. However, as the Shapla is not among the 50 symbols listed in the gazette for political parties, it cannot be allocated to them. Both sides have remained firm in their positions on the matter. Amid this situation, a video circulated on social media claiming that an NCP activist destroyed a Shapla sculpture in protest of not receiving the symbol.

Fact-check

Rumor Scanner’s investigation found that the claim was false. The person involved in damaging the Shapla sculpture was, in fact, mentally unstable. Reports suggest that he often engages in such erratic behavior. At the beginning of the investigation, an analysis of the circulated videos revealed that none of the posts mentioned the location of the incident. However, upon closer review, a signboard reading “Darul Haque Madrasa and Mosque” was visible next to the Shapla sculpture.

A geolocation analysis confirmed that the sculpture and the madrasa are located in Modok Bari Mor, Madhyameddar, Brahmanbaria district. Based on this information, a video of the same incident was found on a Facebook account named Kawsar Habib, posted on October 8. The caption of the video also stated that the incident took place in Brahmanbaria and mentioned that the person climbing the sculpture was a drug-addicted madman, as heard in the video.

Further investigation located another video report of the same incident, published on October 3 by the local media outlet News24 Brahmanbaria on its Facebook page. The report identified the man attempting to vandalize the sculpture as mentally unstable. On the day of the incident, he suddenly climbed onto the Shapla sculpture and tried to damage it. People nearby tried to stop him, but he ignored their calls, leading the crowd to assault him. Later, the video showed him being brought down from the sculpture. The report made no mention of any link between the individual and the NCP.

Since no mainstream media outlet reported on the incident, Rumor Scanner contacted local journalist Wasel Ahmed for further information. He confirmed that the incident occurred on October 2. He stated that the man involved was mentally unstable and frequently engaged in unusual activities in different parts of the city. He also confirmed that there was no evidence of the man’s affiliation with any political party.

Therefore, the claim that an NCP activist vandalized a Shapla sculpture because the party did not receive the Shapla symbol is false.

Original News Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/ncp-symbol-dispute-shapla-vandalism-false/172193