Arrested with Trump placard: CA Press Wing explains

Dhaka, November 11 : No incidents of arrest or crackdown on supporters of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump have occurred in Bangladesh, according to the Press Wing of the Chief Advisor’s Office. The claim was made in response to reports published by an Indian media outlet, which were dismissed as rumors. In addition, posts related to the arrest of carrying Donald Trump’s photo have been posted by a verified Donald Trump’s update twitter ID and it has been reposted thousands of times.

In a post on the verified Facebook page of the C.A. Press Wing Fact on Sunday night, it was stated, “No arrests or crackdowns have taken place.”

The post also mentioned that several leaders, activists, officials, and members of the Awami League were arrested in Dhaka on Sunday on charges related to planning sabotage. However, the arrests were not related to Trump’s supporters. According to the allegations, the individuals were carrying Trump posters as part of instructions from Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina.

However, some videos circulating on Facebook show arrestees being forced by police to hand placards bearing Trump’s image, and then being forced to take pictures of themselves holding the placard. BDDigest’s Facebook post of a video related to this:

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police issued a statement in this regard, which noted that “fugitive Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina had instructed her supporters to carry Trump posters and use them as a shield against arrests.” The detained individuals told the police that they did not follow U.S. politics, and that they had only carried the posters at Hasina’s command.

Furthermore, the Press Wing added that since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster following an unprecedented revolution in August, some Indian newspapers have been aggressively spreading misinformation about the student-led uprisings. These outlets have also exaggerated reports of violence against minorities in the aftermath of the revolution. Similarly, they have overstated the arrests of Awami League supporters, the Press Wing claimed.