Was the man assaulted in Motijheel a BNP leader?

Since yesterday (July 24) afternoon, videos showing a man being assaulted and beaten have circulated widely on social media. The videos carry various fabricated and contradictory claims in their captions. Those sharing the footage claim that the victim is Shiblur Rahman Shibu, president of Motijheel Police Station BNP, and that he was attacked by activists and supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Some posts also claim that on Thursday, after a woman withdrew Tk 500,000 from Union Bank in the Motijheel Police Station area, the man identified as 'Shibu' demanded Tk 100,000 in extortion money. The posts allege that when the woman refused to pay, he grabbed her handbag, prompting an angry crowd described as 'Touhidi Janata' to assault him.

However, an investigation has found no basis for these claims. The assaulted man is not a BNP leader, nor are the attackers members of Jamaat-e-Islami. No mainstream media outlet has published any report supporting these allegations.

Party records and false identity

To verify the authenticity of the circulating videos and claims, Agamir Somoy contacted leaders of the current committee of Motijheel Police Station BNP. Several of them confirmed to Agamir Somoy that there is currently no leader named Shiblur Rahman Shibu serving as president or convener of the unit.

Although a former general secretary of Motijheel Police Station BNP was named Shiblur Rahman Shibu, his appearance does not match the individual seen in the viral videos. In fact, the current convener of Motijheel Police Station BNP is Alamgir Hossain. Therefore, identifying the assaulted man by falsely attributing a BNP leadership position to him is untrue.

Agamir Somoy investigation and police statement

No mainstream media outlet has published any news or report supporting the social media claims that the man demanded extortion money from a female customer outside Union Bank, attempted to snatch her bag, or was beaten by "Touhidi Janata." Law enforcement agencies and other credible sources have also found no evidence to support claims of an attempted robbery or mob assault.

When contacted by Agamir Somoy, Motijheel Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamruzzaman Talukder said clearly that police had received no report of any such incident in the Motijheel Police Station area.

After reviewing all available information, Agamir Somoy has confirmed that the claims linking the viral assault video to a BNP leader or an attempted robbery outside a bank are entirely fabricated and baseless.

Alamgir Hossain currently serves as the convener of Motijheel Police Station BNP, and there is no current president named Shiblur Rahman Shibu. The viral assault footage is being used to spread false and misleading political propaganda without any supporting evidence.