Old photo misrepresented as showing tribute to Bangladesh's founding president on death anniversary

"Today, August 15, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is paying floral tributes to the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu on the National Mourning Day," reads the Bengali-language caption of a Facebook photo shared on August 15, 2025.

The photo shows Banerjee laying a garland over a framed portrait of Bangladesh's founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

India's West Bengal state shares close cultural and linguistic ties with neighbouring Bangladesh (archived link).

Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka, however, have soured since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Rahman's daughter, was ousted in a student-led uprising in August 2024 (archived link). India was the biggest benefactor of Hasina's government and her overthrow sent cross-border relations into a tailspin.

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on August 26, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The image was also shared more than 400 times in total in similar Facebook posts on August 15 -- the anniversary of Rahman's assassination during a military coup in 1975, which was a public holiday during Hasina's rule (archived link).

The public holiday, which was closely associated with the former prime minister and her once-all powerful Awami League party, has since been cancelled by the country's interim government (archived link). 

Local media reported that security was tightened at the site where Rahman's residence once stood and Awami League supporters were prevented from marking the anniversary at the site (archived here and here). The former residence was largely destroyed after Hasina fled the country but still draws Awami League supporters on special occasions.

The image circulating online, however, does not show the West Bengal chief minister also paying tribute to Rahman on the anniversary of his death.

A reverse image search on Google led to the same photo shared on Banerjee's official Facebook page five years earlier, on March 17, 2020 (archived link).

Its Bengali-language caption indicates that Banerjee was marking the 100th anniversary of Rahman's birth.

"I remembered him with respect in the presence of the esteemed Speaker and MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) in the Legislative Assembly," reads the caption.

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the photo posted in March 2020 (right)

Indian media organisation Kolkata Today also published a YouTube video of Banerjee's tribute on the same day (archived link).

As of August 27, 2025, there have been no official reports of Banerjee paying tribute to Rahman on the anniversary of his death.

Moreover, there were no photos posted on Banerjee's official Facebook or X account showing her paying tribute to Rahman on the anniversary of his death on August 15, 2025 (archived here and here). 

AFP has previously debunked other misinformation related to Bangladesh's political unrest.