Recently, a video has been circulated online claiming that Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser on Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, praised the Awami League. However, an investigation by the Rumor Scanner Team reveals that the video in question is not authentic. The audio has been edited and inserted into a briefing held at the Secretariat on October 29, 2024, following a meeting between Dr. Asif Nazrul and Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Upon reviewing the video, it initially shows footage of Asif Nazrul stating, “Among all major parties in Bangladesh, the Awami League is the most democratically established. The Awami League led all democratic movements in the country. It led Bangladesh’s independence struggle. It was the party that established the 1972 Constitution, which included provisions for free and fair elections, freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech. The Awami League is the party that ensured these freedoms were enshrined in the Constitution.”

However, discrepancies between the audio and Dr. Nazrul’s lip movements in the footage indicate editing. The voiceover falsely claims that Dr. Asif Nazrul praised Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina and described the party as the only democratic force in the country. It further alleges that his remarks have surprised not only political organizers but also advisers and coordinators, including one named Sarjees Alam, who is also shown in a subsequent clip.

In that clip, Sarjees Alam states, “It has been misrepresented that I called for banning the Awami League or filed a petition in this regard. Media reports have mentioned such claims, but there is not a single line in our petition suggesting any demand for banning or deregistering the Awami League.”

After showing this footage, the voiceover narrator falsely asserts that Dr. Asif Nazrul made several comments in favor of banning the Awami League. He is allegedly quoted as saying that banning the party without public consensus would be disrespectful to the Bengali language and that he does not support such a move.

The video then shows another clip of Asif Nazrul stating, “A demand has been raised in the High Court to ban the Awami League. That move has been countered and opposed by our office. Personally, I do not support banning any political party. The Awami League led Bangladesh’s independence movement and contributed to various democratic struggles.”

Verification of Asif Nazrul’s Footage—Instance 1:
Reverse image search of keyframes from the footage leads to an ATN News video titled “The election journey has begun—Law Adviser Asif Nazrul | Election | ATN News,” published on October 29, 2024. Similar visuals were found in the circulated video. In the original, Nazrul discusses various election-related matters. When asked whether the Awami League and its alliance will participate in the election, he responds that it is not the right stage to comment. He adds, “Those who have killed thousands, caused dismemberment to thousands more, and gouged out eyes—if they continue to advocate for that, and if the allegations against their leader for threatening to kill 287 people are true, I don’t think the people of Bangladesh will accept that such a party should carry on political activities without facing justice or expressing remorse.”

He continues, “This group is still trying to mislead a major movement. They spread propaganda calling movement leaders juvenile gang members. Whenever they get the chance, they issue threats to kill more people. Whether such a party should be allowed to engage in politics is a question I leave for the conscience of the people of Bangladesh.”

It is confirmed that Dr. Asif Nazrul made these comments during a post-meeting briefing on October 29, 2024, at the Secretariat following his meeting with the UN High Commissioner. Thus, there is no evidence in the footage of him praising the Awami League.

Verification of Sarjees Alam’s Footage:
A reverse image search of frames from his clip matches a video published by Deepto News on October 28, 2024, titled “No petition was filed seeking to ban Awami League: Sarjees Alam | Awami League Writ | Deepto News.” This confirms that the footage was taken out of context. In the original video, Sarjees Alam, Coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, clearly states that no such petition was filed and labels the media coverage as misleading.

Verification of Asif Nazrul’s Footage—Instance 2:
Another segment of the edited video matches a different ATN News video published on August 28, 2024, titled “I do not support banning any political party—Dr. Asif Nazrul | Law Advisor.” In this interview, a journalist asks whether the Awami League should be banned. Dr. Nazrul replies that when a petition was filed at the High Court seeking such a ban, the Attorney General’s office opposed it. He affirms that he does not support banning any political party unless there is concrete evidence of terrorism or anti-state activities, investigated sincerely. He emphasizes that the Constitution guarantees the freedom to form associations.

He also states that while the Awami League led the independence movement and contributed to democratic causes, its actions over the past 15 years contradict that legacy. He accuses the party of establishing one of the most brutal forms of fascism in the country’s history, for which individual and collective responsibility may exist. However, he concludes that banning the Awami League as a political party would not be appropriate.

Therefore, it is evident that Dr. Asif Nazrul never stated in any video that banning the Awami League would dishonor the Bengali language or that he supported the party, as claimed in the edited content. The circulating video is manipulated and misrepresents his actual statements.

Original News Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/asif-nazrul-has-not-made-any-comments-praising-the-awami-league-recently/144621