Viral Al Jazeera Video Alleging Indian Role in Bangladesh Student Leader’s Death Found to Be Fake

A video circulating widely on social media claiming that Al Jazeera reported Indian involvement in the killing of Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi has been found to be digitally manipulated.

The viral clip shows what appears to be an Al Jazeera journalist allegedly stating that there were “growing suspicions of Indian involvement” and that “pro-India factions” were responsible for the assassination. The video was shared extensively following violent protests in Bangladesh sparked by Hadi’s death, which has led to heightened anti-India sentiment and unverified claims that the attackers fled across the border.

However, the original Al Jazeera report on the incident, titled “Anger in Bangladesh: Violent protests after the death of a student leader,” contains no reference to India or any alleged Indian role in the killing. The authentic report focuses solely on the unrest following Hadi’s death and the ongoing investigation.

Visual inconsistencies in the viral clip, including unnatural facial movements and mismatched lip-syncing, indicate that the footage was altered. The audio narration also appears artificially generated, suggesting the use of AI-based manipulation to create a false narrative.

Sharif Osman Hadi, a 32-year-old spokesperson for the Inqilab Mancha platform, was shot by masked attackers in Dhaka and later died in a Singapore hospital on December 18. Authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators, and investigations into the incident are still ongoing.

The spread of the manipulated video highlights growing concerns over the use of deepfake technology to fuel misinformation during periods of political unrest.