Police AI Claim on Viral Protest Photo Debunked by Evidence
A significant controversy has erupted after the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) claimed a viral photograph was generated by artificial intelligence. The image, which shows Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) Masud Alam clamping his hand over a protesting student's mouth, was quickly proven authentic by overwhelming evidence from photographers, technical analysis, and the student himself.
Police Claim Viral Photo is AI-Generated
On Thursday, the DMP released an official statement on its news portal and verified Facebook page, asserting that the powerful image was misleading and created using AI. "It appears that the image was deliberately created by someone to spread unnecessary confusion among the public," the statement read. The DMP condemned the dissemination of the image, urging the public not to be misled by what it called a "false publication." When contacted, DMP's Media Division DC Talebur Rahman reiterated the denial, stating, "No such incident has occurred, as shown by the photo."
Eyewitnesses and Photographers Refute Claim
The police's narrative was immediately challenged by the photojournalists who were on the scene covering the student protests on Minto Road. The incident was captured by multiple photographers during a police effort to disperse engineering students marching towards the chief adviser's residence.
The Business Standard's (TBS) photojournalist, Rajib Dhar, who took one of the viral shots, described the event. "It happened in a split second," he recalled. "A youth was running away like the other protesters. It appeared a policeman tried to stop him. That's when he grabbed him by the face and dropped him on the ground."
His account was corroborated by several colleagues, including Joyeeta Roy from Bangladesh Pratidin and Orchid Chakma from The Daily Star, who also captured the same scuffle. "I spotted a scuffle... A youth was grabbed by a police officer. I took a quick photo," Joyeeta told TBS.
Technical Analysis Confirms Photo's Authenticity
The DMP's claim of AI generation was also debunked through technical analysis. Saiful Alam Chowdhury, an Associate Professor at Dhaka University, shared his findings on Facebook after testing the image with six different verification tools.
"The police have provided no explanation about which software they used... or what made them conclude that the photo was AI-generated," he wrote, adding, "The result: the photo is real." He explained that the positioning of the hands in the image did not match the typical errors found in AI-generated pictures. Furthermore, a metadata analysis of the photo taken by TBS journalist Rajib Dhar confirmed it was captured at 2:50 pm on 27 August 2025, with him listed as the creator.
Student in Photo Speaks Out
Perhaps the most definitive evidence came from the student in the photograph, identified as Rafid Khan of BUET. He came forward to confirm the incident, directly contradicting the police's statement.
"The widely discussed photo is not AI-generated. The incident actually happened to me," Rafid stated. He explained that the officer clamped his mouth just as he was pushed and fell to the ground during the protest. More details on his account can be found in a follow-up report.
Video Evidence Emerges
Further solidifying the reality of the event, a video from another angle was shared on Facebook by ATN Bangla News. The footage shows the moments just before the photograph was taken, capturing multiple baton-wielding police officers beating Rafid on the footpath. The scuffle shown in the video leads directly to the scene immortalized by the photojournalists. Despite this mountain of evidence, when asked about the other photos capturing the event, DC Talebur Rahman simply said, "I am not aware of this."
