For several years, the dissemination of offensive content about women on various internet platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and TikTok, has become a regular issue, according to BanglaFact, reports BSS.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, BanglaFact depicts how women politicians are victimised on social media platforms.
Following is the text of the statement:
In recent times, its trend has increased significantly. Among the most affected are women in government and the political arena.
After the toppling of dictator Sheikh Hasina on August 5 last year, false information has been continuously spread on various internet platforms involving some female politicians, who came into the spotlight.
Negative propaganda is being carried out in various ways, including creating fake accounts on social media in the names of these women, spreading fake photo cards involving them in the names of the media, ugly edited photos with different people, offensive deepfake videos, and creating photos and videos with ugly fabricated comments.
Fake photo cards with the names and logos of various mainstream media are being used to make these issues credible.
The Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) fact-checking and media research team BanglaFact has analysed 27 objectionable contents spread on the internet at different times about 5 emerging women politicians, one established woman politician and one woman adviser; all of which are false claims.
Besides, objectionable contents may have been spread on the internet about the mentioned women, which did not come up due to verification limitations. Other fact-checking organisations in the country have also identified these contents as false at different times.
Of these, 5 objectionable contents spread about Environment, Forest and Climate Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, which is 18.52 per cent of the total false information. Six objectionable contents spread about BNP leader Rumin Farhana, which is 22.22 per cent of the total false information.
The number of offensive contents spread about National Citizens Party (NCP) Senior Joint Member Secretary Tasneem Zara is 5, which is 18.52 per cent of the total false information.
The number of offensive content spread about National Citizens Party (NCP) Joint Convener Nusrat Tabassum is 7, which is 25.93 per cent of the total false information.
The number of offensive content spread about Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Convener Committee Spokesperson Umama Fatema is 2, which is 7.41 per cent of the total false information.
The number of offensive content spread about National Citizens Party (NCP) Joint Convener Tajnubha Jabin is 1, which is 3.70 per cent of the total false information.
The number of offensive content spread about National Citizens Party (NCP) Joint Convener Arpita Shyama Deb is 1, which is 3.70 per cent of the total false information.
Among these, the amount of objectionable contents spread on the internet about Nusrat Tabassum is the highest.
In addition, out of the 27 objectionable contents, 3 (spread about Rumeen Farhana) are only from the pre-July movement period; all the remaining contents spread about others are from the post-July period.
Besides, false information has been spread on the internet about the aforementioned women involving political, religious and other issues.
However, this report has analysed only objectionable contents. Of these contents, 11 are photocard-centric, 10 are video-centric, 5 are image-centric, and 1 is audio-centric.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan
In mid-March this year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Bangladesh. He left Dhaka on March 16 after a four-day visit. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Environment, Forest and Climate Adviser, and National Security Adviser Dr. Khalilur Rahman bid farewell to Guterres at the airport.
Later, a video claiming to show Antonio Guterres kissing Rizwana Hasan went viral on social media.
However, upon verification, it was found that the video was fake. Basically, the video was created using artificial intelligence (AI) technology at that time and circulated on the internet.
Also, in February this year, an objectionable image (indecipherable) claiming to be a picture of Syeda Rizwana Hasan spread on the internet. However, upon verification, it was found that the objectionable image was not of Rizwana Hasan. Rather, the image in question was created by collecting a picture of a different woman from an adult website and replacing Rizwana Hasan's face with it with the help of technology.
In April this year, a photo card with the design of Channel 24 was circulated on social media, demanding Syeda Rizwana Hasan's comment.
The photo card was titled 'Government has taken the initiative to provide employment in an eco-friendly condom factory as an alternative for the tourism-dependent population of St. Martin's Island - Syeda Rizwana Hasan. Environmental Adviser.
However, upon verification, it was found that Rizwana Hasan did not make any such comment, and Channel 24 did not publish any such photo card or news. Rather, the photo card was created by editing the title of a different photo card published by Channel 24's sub-page Chittagong 24 with the help of digital technology.
At the end of March this year, a photo card with the logo of Ekattor TV with the title 'Natural childbirth loosens the uterus. Adviser tells victims - she herself is proof of this.' was circulated on social media with a photo card of Syeda Rizwana Hasan.
However, upon verification, it was found that the photo card is fake. In fact, Rizwana Hasan did not make any such comment and Ekattor TV did not publish any such photo card or news. Rather, the photo card was created by editing the title of a different photocard of Ekattor TV with the help of digital technology.
In mid-November last year, a photo card featuring the design of the mainstream national daily Kalbela went viral on social media, claiming that Syeda Rizwana Hasan had made a comment titled 'Condoms are not biodegradable, so their use should be stopped'.
However, verification revealed that Rizwana Hasan had not made any such comment, and Kalbela had not published any such photo card or news. Rather, the fake photo card was created by copying the design of Kalbela's photo card and editing it with the help of digital technology.
Rumin Farhana
In early February this year, a photo card titled '71 TV leaked an objectionable video of actor Shakib Khan with Rumin Farhana', the assistant international affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), went viral on the internet.
Verification revealed that Ekattor TV had not published any such content, and the image being broadcast was not original. Rather, the photo card was created by combining Shakib Khan's photo with Rumin Farhana's photo with the help of digital technology.
In October last year, a photo of Rumin Farhana in her wedding attire with Hasnat Abdullah, the chief organiser of the southern region of Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), was circulated, claiming that the two were getting married.
However, verification revealed that the photo was not real. Rather, the controversial photo was created by collecting wedding photos of different couples and editing them with the help of digital technology, adding Hasnat Abdullah and Rumin Farhana's faces.
Earlier, in early September last year, a video claiming to be a wedding scene between Rumin Farhana and a Jamaat Maulana went viral on social media.
Later, verification of the video revealed that it was not of Rumin Farhana's wedding. Rather, a video of a prayer ceremony for flood victims and a union inspection and exchange meeting was circulated at that time with that claim.
In April last year, a video claiming to show Rumin Farhana dancing and celebrating after a video call with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman went viral on social media Facebook.
However, verification revealed that the video is not real. Rather, the video was created with the help of deepfake technology.
In late June last year, another video claiming to show Rumin Farhana dancing went viral on the internet.
However, verification also revealed that it was not real. Basically, the video was created with the help of deepfake technology and circulated on the internet.
In May last year, a video claiming to show BNP leader Barrister Rumin Farhana making a TikTok video on the Purbachal Expressway went viral.
However, verification revealed that the video is not real. Rather, it was also created with the help of deepfake technology. Basically, the video is by a TikTok content creator named Nafisa Nusrat Pranami.
The video was spread on the internet by changing the facial features of Nafisa Nusrat Pranami with the help of deepfake technology and adding the facial features of Rumin Farhana.
Tasneem Zara
In March this year, a video went viral on social media claiming to be a kissing scene between National Citizens Party (NCP) Senior Joint Member Secretary Dr. Tasneem Zara and the party's Senior Joint Chief Coordinator Abdul Hannan Masud.
However, upon verification of the video, it was found that it was not a real video. The video was originally created by editing with the help of AI technology.
On May 4, an attack was reported on the car of National Citizens Party (NCP) Southern Region Chief Organiser Hasnat Abdullah in the Chandana Chowrasta area of Gazipur city, and it is known that Hasnat Abdullah, who was in the car, was injured in the hand during the attack.
In the wake of this incident, a photocard designed by Jamuna TV with the title '....Hasnat injured- Tasnim Zara,' and pictures of Hasnat Abdullah and Tasnim Zara was circulated on social media.
However, upon checking the photocard, it was found that the media outlet did not publish any news or photo card under that title. The discussed photocard was originally created by editing with the help of digital technology based on the design of the photo card regularly circulated on the media outlet's Facebook page.
In early May, a photo card with the design and logo of the online media outlet Dhaka Post was circulated on Facebook with the title 'Tasnim Zara at the gathering, the victims are also crying here and I am crying every night in bed'.
However, upon checking the photocard, it was found that the media outlet did not publish any news or a photocard under that title.
The photocard was originally created by editing with the help of digital technology, based on the design of the photocard regularly circulated on the media outlet's Facebook page.
In mid-March of this year, a photocard with the logo of Daily Janakantha under the title 'Rules of sexual intercourse in Ramadan' was circulated on social media.
However, upon verification, it was found that Daily Janakantha did not publish any photocard or news under that title. Rather, this photocard was created by changing the title of a different photocard of Janakantha through editing with the help of digital technology.
In early March of this year, a screenshot of the thumbnail of Tasnim Zara's YouTube video titled 'How to make your penis bigger and fatter? Solution' was circulated on Facebook, with the caption, 'Your health is good | Anyone who wants to make it fat can contact you.'
However, upon verification, it was found that the thumbnail was not real, but a different thumbnail was created with the help of digital technology.
Nusrat Tabassum
Earlier this year, an objectionable video of National Citizens Party (NCP) joint convener Nusrat Tabassum went viral with the claim of 'secret video leak of coordinator Nusrat'.
However, verification revealed that the claim was false. In fact, an old video was collected from an adult website and the video was circulated as hers by adding Nusrat Tabassum's picture to it.
Around the same time, an edited picture of Nusrat Tabassum went viral on social media. At that time, netizens criticised the picture as her real picture.
In this context, various ugly comments were also made about her. However, the reality is that the controversial picture was created by editing a picture of Nusrat Tabassum sitting at the 'March for Unity' programme of the anti-discrimination student movement on December 31 last year with the help of digital technology.
Earlier, in September last year, a video claiming to be a dance scene of Nusrat Tabassum was circulated on social media Facebook.
However, upon verification, it was found that the dance video was not of Nusrat Tabassum. In fact, a dance video of a content creator named Priyanka Das from West Bengal, India, was circulated claiming to be a dance video of Nusrat Tabassum.
At the same time, a photocard with the logo of Jamuna Television was circulated on Facebook under the title 'Nusrat Tabassum, coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, was raped in the TSC area at midnight'.
However, upon verification, it was found that Jamuna TV or any other media outlet did not publish any news or photocard with that title, and no such incident took place at TSC at that time.
In fact, the photocard was created by copying the design of Jamuna TV's photocard and editing it with the help of digital technology.
In mid-April this year, a photo card with the Zoom Bangla logo was circulated on Facebook with the title 'Coordinator Nusrat ... Co-Coordinator Shows' about Nusrat Tabassum.
However, upon verification, it was found that Zoom Bangla did not publish any such photocard or news.
In fact, the discussed photocard was created by changing the title of a different photo card circulated on Zoom Bangla's Facebook page on November 9, 2024.
In February this year, considering the needs and awareness of women, PRAN-RFL Group's health protection product brand 'Stay-Safe' sanitary napkins were displayed on the Amar Ekushey Book Fair premises.
There was a demand to stop its public display or sale, calling sanitary napkins a secret product. Based on this objection, a controversy arose over the letter sent by Bangla Academy to PRAN-RFL to stop the display and sale of the organisation in charge of event management and to present some other product there.
In this context, Nusrat Tabassum made a Facebook post criticising the issue. Using a screenshot of that post, a photocard with the Prothom Alo logo and design under the title 'Funding is going online for Nusrat Tabassum's uterus operation' was circulated on social media Facebook.
However, upon verification, it was found that Prothom Alo did not publish any such photocard or news. The fake photocard was created by adding Prothom Alo's name and logo and circulated on social media at that time.
In December last year, an objectionable photo claiming to be a picture of Nusrat Tabassum and Umama Fatima was circulated on social media.
Upon verification, it was found that the photo was not real. Rather, a different photo was collected from the internet, and the controversial photo was circulated by editing it with the help of technology, replacing the girl on the left with Umama Fatima's photo and the girl on the right with Nusrat Tabassum's face.
Tajnubha Jabin
There has been a recent trend of spreading rumours involving National Citizens Party (NCP) co-convener Tajnubha Jabin.
On June 16, expatriate journalist Jawad Nirjhar posted a call recording on Facebook, accusing Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) co-convener Sarwar Tushar of making a bad proposal to a party leader.
When the call recording later went viral, netizens reacted angrily. Various rumours arose about the identity of the woman who was talking to the person with a voice similar to Sarwar Tushar. Some speculated that the woman was Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) co-convener Tajnubha Jabin.
In the meantime, an expatriate journalist took up the matter and posted a post revealing Tajnubha Jabin's name. After that post, more controversy arose over the matter.
In addition, a female journalist posted a video on YouTube with a thumbnail of Tajnubha Jabin's picture. This led to the name of Tajnubha Jabin being spread as the woman in the call record.
However, it is known that the woman in the discussed call record is not Tajnubha Jabin. She posted on her verified Facebook account several times, stating that she has no connection with the call record.
Later, it was learned that the name of the woman in the discussed call record is Neela Israfil. Neela herself confirmed the matter in a Facebook post.
Umama Fatima
In mid-February of this year, a photo card featuring the design of the daily Janakantha involving Umama Fatima with the title 'July movement was not just for the coordinators to get married. Everyone is getting married, but no one cares about me: Coordinator Umama' was circulated on social media.
However, upon verification, it was found that Janakantha did not publish any photocard or news with that title, and Umama Fatima did not make any such comment.
In fact, a different photocard of Janakantha was edited with the help of digital technology.
Arpita Shyama Deb
Towards the end of May this year, a video was shared on Facebook under the caption "Arpita Shyama Deb, the chief organiser of the '24 Red Warrior Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Sylhet, is caught." It was falsely claimed that the video featured Arpita Shyama Deb, the joint convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP). Upon verifying, it was found that the woman in the video was not Arpita. The clip was from an adult website featuring a different woman.
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