Former Dhaka University vice-president Sadik Kayem has brought allegations against senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, accusing him of spreading misinformation in connection with the attempted murder of Sharif Osman Hadi. According to Sadik Kayem, Rizvi treated an AI-generated fake image, which he claims was circulated by the Awami League’s propaganda cell, as genuine and presented it as factual. Sharif Osman Hadi is the spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha and an independent parliamentary candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency. Sadik Kayem said that the dissemination of such unverified and misleading information is highly irresponsible and has created confusion among the public.
In a Facebook post made on Saturday, Sadik Kayem stated that such behaviour is not expected from a senior leader of a major political party like the BNP. He said that political leaders who seek public support by promising to build a future Bangladesh must demonstrate a higher level of responsibility, particularly during sensitive and critical moments. According to him, when leaders accept Awami League-linked misinformation as fact without proper verification, it naturally raises questions in the public mind about their ability to responsibly run the affairs of the state. He further observed that the role of responsible leadership becomes even more crucial during periods of political tension and uncertainty.
Sadik Kayem alleged that during a BNP rally, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made claims based on a fake and AI-generated image, asserting that Sadik Kayem had been sitting at the same table and drinking tea with a person allegedly involved in the attempted murder of Hadi. He described this claim as entirely false, baseless and misleading. In his view, such remarks are not merely intended to personally discredit an individual, but also serve to inflame political tensions and further destabilise the broader political environment.
In this context, Sadik Kayem called upon the BNP as a political party and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi as an individual to issue a public apology. He also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the statement in question in order to absolve themselves of responsibility for spreading misinformation. He stressed that political leaders should verify the accuracy of information before making any public statements and must adhere to responsible standards of political conduct.
Sadik Kayem further said that the spread of misinformation in politics does not only harm a specific individual or group, but poses a serious threat to the country’s democratic environment and political culture as a whole. He added that citizens reasonably expect conscious, restrained and fact-based behaviour from those occupying positions of political leadership.
Meanwhile, addressing the same rally, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi stated that the attack on Sharif Osman Hadi was a well-planned and deliberate conspiracy. He questioned who would take responsibility for the fact that an individual initially identified in connection with the incident was a Chhatra League leader and was seen sitting at the same table with a Dhaka University vice-president.
Rizvi also alleged that within one or two hours of the incident, a post appeared on social media attacking BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas with abusive and offensive language, including referring to him as a “gangster”. He questioned the logic of making such accusations before the completion of any investigation.
Referring to the political career of Mirza Abbas, Rizvi said that in his long 50-year political life, no one has ever been able to accuse him of physically assaulting anyone. He added that there are numerous examples of Abbas standing beside sick and distressed people, and therefore it is not believable that such a person would suddenly attack a young candidate.