Recently, on the social media platform Facebook, a claim has been circulated stating that former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in a recent interview: “Is there any leader as dynamic as Sheikh Hasina? Bangladesh was rising, that has been halted. At one time I saw unity in Bangladesh, now it is no longer visible. The country seems to be trapped in the hands of a militant group. During Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, Bangladesh’s economic growth, infrastructural development, and international relations reached new heights. Large projects like the Padma Bridge and metro rail are examples of her strong leadership. Halting the pace of development is suicidal for a country. I hope the people of Bangladesh will make the right decision considering their country’s future.”
Such a claim was published in the media: Ei Samay.
Similar claims were also posted from the verified Facebook pages of Bangladesh Awami League and Bangladesh Awami Jubo League. Additionally, the discussed claim in the Awami League’s post was also shared from the verified Facebook page of Bangladesh Chhatra League.
See such posts circulated on Facebook here: Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), and Here (Archive)
See a similar post on Instagram Here (Archive).
See a similar post on X Here (Archive).
Additionally, a video interview of Mahathir Mohamad was also included to promote the discussed claim, where he is heard talking about someone, saying they deserve the Nobel Prize. He had no desire for power, he just wanted to work for the poor. Mahathir is also seen speaking on various issues, including unity among the people during the ousting of Sheikh Hasina, the people of Bangladesh, and the government.
See such Facebook video posts here: Video 1 (Archive), Video 2 (Archive)
Fact-check
According to an investigation by the Rumor Scanner team, Mahathir Mohamad has not referred to Sheikh Hasina as a ‘dynamic leader’ in any recent interview and has not offered her lavish praise. In the video linked to the discussed claim, Mahathir Mohamad was actually praising Dr. Yunus.
In this investigation, a keyword search did not reveal any information or evidence from media or reliable sources to support the claim that Mahathir Mohamad praised Sheikh Hasina. However, the investigation found (source) that in a recent interview given to UK-based news outlet ITV journalist Mahathir Pasha, Mahathir Mohamad expressed opinions on various issues regarding Malaysia and the world, as well as on matters related to Bangladesh. A portion of that interview was provided to mainstream media outlet bdnews24.com, which published the excerpt on their YouTube channel and website on June 24.
Comparing the widely discussed video with the original interview video shows similarities. However, in the promoted version, some parts were removed using digital editing tools.
In the interview published by bdnews24, Mahathir Mohamad is seen praising Dr. Yunus. Speaking about Dr. Yunus, Mahathir said he was a great man: “He deserved the Nobel Prize because he created something to help poor people. He had no desire for power… he only wanted to work for the poor.”
In the same interview, Mahathir further said: “The people are united in ousting Hasina, but not united on what kind of government should be formed. Everyone wants the whole country to follow their own ideas—that’s where the problem arises. Those who were once united are now in conflict with each other.”
Furthermore, when asked whether the Awami League should take part in the upcoming election, Mahathir replied: “This is the problem with democracy. People don’t always choose the best person; sometimes they choose the wrong one.” He added, “But if the people of Bangladesh make thoughtful decisions, I believe they can choose a good government.”
In that interview, Mahathir did not praise Sheikh Hasina nor make comments similar to the discussed claim.
It is worth noting that although Mahathir Mohamad has not recently referred to Sheikh Hasina as a ‘dynamic leader’, a report published on December 2, 2014, on the bdnews24 website stated that then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhury reported that [during a meeting] “Mahathir Mohamad praised Bangladesh’s socio-economic progress and development under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.” Additionally, there have been reports published in the media at various times claiming that Mahathir praised Sheikh Hasina’s leadership and Bangladesh’s development during her premiership.
Therefore, the claim that Mahathir Mohamad lavishly praised Sheikh Hasina and referred to her as a ‘dynamic leader’ in a recent interview is misleading.
