Though there is no report in Bangladeshi media or from law enforcement agencies regarding any death during the ongoing student protests, the US Department of State spokesperson claiming two deaths has raised a question whether it fell prey to rumours on social media platforms.
Journalists and activists in Bangladesh have criticized the United States for perpetuating unverified information, which they believe undermines its neutrality and commitment to combating disinformation. It is impossible to hide the death of two students, noted local observers, pointing out that such incidents would have been reported by their parents, friends, or teachers.
Hours before the US State Department’s comments on July 15 (Washington time), student fronts of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami circulated unverified claims about the deaths of two students, they observed. Veteran journalist and researcher Ajoy Das Gupta commented, “The US State Department chose to perpetuate this rumor, which makes its claim of neutrality questionable once again. This exposes the country’s reliance on spin doctors rather than facts.”
The claim by the US coincided with a surge of disinformation from BNP-Jamaat-backed social media accounts, alleging that two students were killed by the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student front of the Bangladesh Awami League, he added.
Farhan Sadik, a university student, addressed the rumors on Facebook Live, saying, “Please don’t spread any rumors. I’m home and safe, Alhamdulillah.”
Bangladesh Awami League (AL) has accused BNP-Jamaat of spreading these rumors and has urged students and the public not to fall for them. The ALBD Web Team presented screenshots of various rumors such as “A student from CTG killed” and “Four students in DU have been killed,” which were circulating on social media.
“Political parties have turned to rumors to instigate the public and draw international attention. This erroneous statement by the US State Department further undermines its commitment to fight disinformation and explains why the US approach to Bangladesh has been branded as partisan,” said senior journalist Gazi Nasiruddin Khokon. He added, “This disinformation by the highest authorities clearly contradicts their claims of neutrality.”
Responding to a question about the student violence, US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “So we are aware of and are monitoring reports of widespread student protests in Dhaka and around Bangladesh that have killed two and attacked and injured hundreds.”