BSS
  24 Jun 2025, 21:09

Indian smuggler falsely misrepresented as July fighter: Factwatch

DHAKA, June 24, 2025 (BSS) – Factwatch, a private fact-checking initiative based in Bangladesh, has identified a widely circulated video on social media platforms which falsely claims an Indian smuggler as a July-fighter.

According to the digital investigation report of the Factwatch, a video of seizing different kinds of goods from a man seating on a wheelchair has gone viral falsely claiming ‘the smuggler’ as an injured of anti-discrimination students’ movement returning home with drugs after receiving treatment from abroad.

The report noted that the arrested person was none from July-fighter rather he was identified as Nazrul Islam -- an Indian citizen who was caught at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Dhaka on March 17 -- with smuggled drugs and cosmetic goods disguised as a patient. 

He came to Dhaka by a flight of Indigo Airlines from Kolkata.

A team of Customs Intelligence department caught him while he was leaving the airport in a wheelchair, posing as a critical CCU patient. 

After searching his body, the customs department recovered 20 kg of cosmetics, 4 liters of liquor, three mobile phones and 7 pieces of clothes. A video was recorded during the body search as evidence. 

Although Nazrul was later released on bail, legal action against him is pending. 
          
The Factwatch raised ‘False’ flag on such posts and reported that the video of the smuggling goods seizure has been misrepresented and falsely attributed to July fighters.