Rizvi Criticised Over Alleged Misinformation on Hadi Attack Case

Dhaka University former vice-president Sadik Kayem has accused senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi of spreading misinformation by treating an AI-generated fake image, circulated by the Awami League’s propaganda cell, as authentic in connection with the attempted murder of Sharif Osman Hadi. Hadi is the spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha and an independent parliamentary candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency. Sadik Kayem said that disseminating such misleading information without proper verification is highly irresponsible and has contributed to public confusion.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Sadik Kayem stated that such conduct is not expected from a senior leader of a major political party like the BNP. He remarked that political leaders who approach the public with promises of building a future Bangladesh must demonstrate responsibility, especially during sensitive and critical moments. According to him, when leaders accept Awami League-linked misinformation as fact without verification, it naturally raises serious questions in the public mind about their capacity to govern the state. He emphasised that responsible leadership becomes even more crucial during times of political tension.

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 an individual allegedly involved in the attempted murder of Hadi. He described the claim as completely false, baseless and misleading. In his view, such remarks are not merely an attempt to personally discredit an individual, but also contribute to heightening political tensions and further destabilising the overall political environment.

In this context, Sadik Kayem called upon the BNP as a party and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi as an individual to offer a public apology. He also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the statement in order to absolve themselves of responsibility for spreading misinformation. He stressed that political leaders must verify the accuracy of information before making public statements and must uphold a standard of responsible conduct in political discourse.

Sadik Kayem further said that the spread of misinformation in politics does not only harm a particular person or group, but poses a serious threat to the country’s democratic environment and political culture as a whole. He added that the public rightfully expects conscious, restrained and fact-based behaviour from responsible political leadership.

On the other hand, 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 social media post was made attacking BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas with abusive and offensive language, including calling him a “gangster”. He questioned the justification for making such statements even 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. Instead, he said there are numerous examples of Abbas standing beside sick and distressed people. Rizvi added that it is therefore not believable that such a person would suddenly attack a young candidate.