A photocard resembling the design of the mainstream media outlet ‘Prothom Alo’ was recently circulated on Facebook. It purportedly attributed a statement to the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, with the title “United States Satisfied with the Overall Election Situation.”
See related Facebook posts here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), and here (archive).
Fact Check
The Rumor Scanner Team’s investigation revealed that Peter Haas did not make any statement titled “United States Satisfied with the Overall Election Situation,” and Prothom Alo did not publish any photocard or news article with such content. The photocard in question was actually created through digital editing.
Initially, the Rumor Scanner Team reviewed a photocard featuring Prothom Alo’s design, which indicated January 6 as the date of the news publication.
In their verification efforts, the team did not find any photocard or news item with the specified title or information on Prothom Alo’s verified Facebook page, website, YouTube channel, or other media outlets, either before or after January 6. However, the design of some photocards posted on Prothom Alo’s Facebook page on January 6 resembled the disputed photocard, but there were differences in the fonts used in their titles. It appears that the contentious photocard was produced by modifying one of these existing photocards.
During the investigation, the team noted a photocard posted on January 7 on Prothom Alo’s verified Facebook page, which denounced the disputed photocard as part of a false campaign.
The post stated, “The image and information being circulated under the name of Prothom Alo are counterfeit and not produced by us. To avoid any confusion, please refer to our verified Facebook page and online resources.”
Bottom Line
In summary, Prothom Alo did not recently publish any photocard or news item under the title “United States Satisfied with the Overall Election Situation: Peter Haas.” Furthermore, no credible sources or mainstream media have confirmed such a statement from Peter Haas. This issue emerged in the context of the 12th national parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, held on January 7. Investigations established that Peter Haas had not issued a statement like “United States Satisfied with the Overall Election Situation,” and no such information was disseminated on Prothom Alo’s Facebook page or other platforms. Prothom Alo has officially declared the photocard in question as a hoax.
So, the photocard distributed in the name of Prothom Alo, titled “United States Satisfied with the Overall Election Situation” and allegedly quoting Peter Haas, is false and fabricated.
Sources
- Prothom Alo – Website
- Prothom Alo – Facebook Page
- Prothom Alo – YouTube
- Prothom Alo – Facebook Post
