How Dhaka banked on an Al Jazeera deep-fake to fuel anti-India hysteria after Osman Hadi’s murder |
Following the attack on Osman Hadi, Al Jazeera deep-fake played role behind anti-India and anti-Hindu notoriety although the murder of anti-India Islamist activist Osman Hadi was not merely a criminal incident – it rapidly morphed into a geopolitical instrument. Within hours of the attack, before any credible investigation had been concluded, the interim administration in Dhaka chose to externalize the blame, pointing fingers at India with remarkable urgency.
What followed was a carefully staged sequence of diplomatic pressure, street agitation, and media amplification – much of it resting on a claim that now appears fundamentally flawed: that Hadi’s alleged killers had fled to India. At the center of this narrative stood a sensational yet dubious report circulated by Qatar-based Al Jazeera’s i-Unit, later exposed as relying on deep-fake imagery and unverified propaganda.
A murder turned into a political spectacle
Following the attack on Osman Hadi, which sent shockwaves through the Muhammad Yunus-led interim dispensation, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry summoned the Indian High Commissioner and formally sought New Delhi’s cooperation to prevent suspects from “fleeing to India”. Almost immediately, authorities began suggesting – without presenting forensic or legal proof – that Hadi’s killers had already crossed the border.
These claims ignited a wave of orchestrated street protests. Islamist groups poured into the streets of Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Chittagong, chanting anti-India slogans and demanding the extradition of Hadi’s “killers”. Indian diplomatic missions became focal points of agitation. In Dhaka, a mob attempted to march towards the Indian High Commission before being stopped by police. In Chittagong, protesters surrounded the Indian envoy’s residence. Similar scenes unfolded in Rajshahi. What should have been a murder investigation was quickly transformed into a theatre of anti-India rhetoric.
The Al Jazeera i-Unit claim
The cornerstone of........