Fake news report attacks popular Bangladeshi singer Momotaz with claim of ‘AIDS diagnosis’

In a fabricated report that was repeatedly circulated on social media in Bangladesh, it was falsely claimed that the popular folk singer Momotaz Begom was diagnosed with AIDS. Local broadcaster Channel i denied publishing the alleged report, which contained visual errors, while Momotaz refuted the claims.

“Who will sing in Parliament in the future?” was the Bengali-language caption to a shared post Here on Facebook on June 5th.

Popular folk singer and three-time parliamentarian Momotaz Begom Ras a candidate of the ruling Awami League for the national elections in January 2024, but lost to an independent candidate (archived link).

The picture seems to be a graphic card with the logo of Channel i, a private Bangladeshi television station.

“Singer Momotaz has been diagnosed with AIDS,” read the Bengali text above.

According to a report in the Dhaka Tribune newspaper (archived link), health authorities in Bangladesh have said that the South Asian country is stagnating in its fight against AIDS, the most serious form of HIV infection, despite the fact that treatment is free.

According to experts, conservative attitudes in the predominantly Muslim country also lead to high levels of violence, discrimination and stigmatization among patients.

The image appeared with similar captions elsewhere on Facebook here and here.

Some Facebook users pointed out that this could be a false claim, but other comments suggested that users believed it to be true.

“She deserves it,” said one user.

“I pray for her speedy recovery,” said another.

But Momotaz said the claim was “unfounded and false.”

“I am fine and in good health with God’s grace,” she told AFP on June 30.

Channel I also refused puPublication of such a report on Momotaz Ina post on his verified Facebook page on June 4 (archived link).

“The news published on Channel I’s online map is not true. No such news has been published online on Channel I and the news is completely false,” she said in her post.

The Bengali font used in the graphics card shared in fake posts is different from Channel i’s regular graphics cards.

Below you will find a comparison between the image shared in fake posts (left) and a screenshot of one of the regular graphics cards used by Channel i on its Facebook page (right), with visual inconsistencies highlighted by AFP:

A reverse image search on Google followed by a keyword search on Facebook revealed the original photo taken by Momotaz, shared on her verified Facebook page on January 29, 2024.

The Bengali caption reads:“Paush Mela and anti-drug folk music programme in Srinagar, Munshiganj. Date: 28th January 2024.”

Paush Mela is an annual fair and festival celebrated in January.

As of July 1, 2024, there were no official reports of Momotaz’s AIDS diagnosis.

AFP has previously debunked misinformation about her during the election.