A collage image has gone viral on social media, claiming that BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir sat down on the roadside after being prevented from entering the Shaheed Minar to lay wreaths on February 21. The two images have been widely shared across various Facebook accounts, pages, and groups, mostly with identical captions. The images show Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir wearing a white panjabi and pajama, sitting by the roadside amid a crowd. A monogram of the Shaheed Minar is visible on the left side of his panjabi.
A Facebook page named "Bangabandhu Mane Bangladesh" posted the images on Friday (February 21) at 8:37 PM, which quickly gained traction. The caption reads, "BNP’s situation has become so dire that their Secretary General had to remain like this in front of the Shaheed Minar gate today." By Saturday at 2:00 PM, the post had received 1,400 reactions, 405 shares, and 141 comments. Some commenters pointed out that the image was old, while others assumed it was from the previous day. A Facebook user named R Haider Babul commented, "This is truly unfortunate. It is unfortunate for all political leaders in Bangladesh." Another user, Mostafizur Rahman, wrote, "Very unfortunate incident."
The images were also shared by Facebook pages and accounts such as Barrister Johirul Islam, Amra Mujiber Soinik, and Sirajul Islam, using similar captions. However, a reverse image search revealed that the same image, taken from a different angle, had been previously posted on Facebook by Dibakar Rajbongshy on February 21, 2018. The viral image closely matches those older images, with Mirza Fakhrul wearing the same outfit and the same monogram on his chest. The caption of that earlier post read, "Unexpectedly met Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir while he was laying flowers at the National Shaheed Minar." A similar post by Shanbe Ahmed Babu also contained the same images from February 21, 2018.
In that earlier post, it was claimed that the then-Awami League government had barred Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir from entering the Shaheed Minar, forcing him to sit by the roadside. However, when relevant keywords were searched on Google, a report published by Jugantor on February 21, 2018, revealed that Mirza Fakhrul and other BNP leaders had indeed paid their respects at the Central Shaheed Minar. The report’s images closely resemble the viral ones, indicating that the claim of Fakhrul being prevented from entering the Shaheed Minar was not mentioned in any credible source.
On February 21, 2018, during International Mother Language Day commemorations at the Shaheed Minar, Mirza Fakhrul had stated, "Democracy has been buried in Bangladesh. The country’s democratic institutions are being destroyed. People's rights and voting rights are being taken away, and there is no security in their lives." He had further commented, "We are observing this day in a time when there is no democracy in the country." However, he did not claim that he had been blocked from entering the Shaheed Minar. Moreover, no reports from other media outlets supported such claims.
Mirza Fakhrul’s official Facebook page also posted the collage image on February 21, 2025, clarifying that it was from 2018, when BNP was reportedly denied permission to pay respects at the Shaheed Minar.
To verify whether Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir faced any obstruction on February 21, 2025, the fact-checking team of Ajker Patrika conducted an investigation. A keyword search led to a United News of Bangladesh (UNB) report stating that a BNP delegation, led by Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, had placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar on February 21. The delegation included BNP Chairperson’s advisors Aman Ullah Aman, Abdus Salam, Joint Secretary Generals Khairul Kabir Khokon and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, central leader Nazim Uddin Alam, Dhaka North BNP President Aminul Haque, Jubo Dal President Abdul Monayem Munna, and General Secretary Nurul Islam Noyon, among others.
Several media outlets, including ATN Bangla, Jamuna Television, and News24, reported the same. However, none of these reports mentioned any incident of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir being prevented from entering the Shaheed Minar.
Thus, the claim that Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was blocked from entering the Shaheed Minar on February 21, 2025, is false. The widely circulated collage image is actually from February 21, 2018, when he was seen sitting by the roadside. The image has been misrepresented to falsely suggest that he was barred from entering the Shaheed Minar this year.

Original News Source: https://www.ajkerpatrika.com/fact-check/slip-of-tongue/ajpf8elyqa69f