Claim- The Times of India has reported that ‘Khaleda Zia will be the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh’
Fact-The viral article is old. The news article was published in The Times of India in 2012.
Several posts on social media have claimed that the Times of India has recently reported that “Khaleda Zia will be the next Prime Minister”. These viral posts can be seen here. TikTok Facebook & Facebook
See the screenshots of the posts here.
courtesy: Facebook/User
courtesy: TikTok/User
Newschecker-Bangladesh has verified that the claim is false.
Fact-check/Verification:
With a Google keyword search, it has been found that the claim is false. An opinion column published on the website of The Times of India on August 29, 2012, can be found by searching. The headline of the news article states, “India’s worries could mount with Khaleda Zia’s expected return to power in Bangladesh,” which suggests that if Khaleda Zia comes to power in the upcoming election, it will be a cause of concern for India. You can see the article here- Times of India.
In the news report, author Bharti Jain expresses concerns about the upcoming 2014 elections and the potential transition in power dynamics. In the column, she mentioned that at the outset of 2014, the capital Dhaka may witness a power shift. It was articulated that the anti-India forces could once again engage in discussions of extremism and carry out subversive actions freely.
courtesy: Times of India (published 2012)
In the second paragraph of the article, the writer mentions, It has become rather of a political norm in Bangladesh for there to be a shift in power at the end of each government’s tenure. Hence, it is presumed that in the upcoming tenure, Begum Khaleda Zia will become the Prime Minister, who is not friendly towards India.
Upon examining the text of the viral post, there are some similarities with this particular section of the original article. The viral posts do not provide any specific link to any particular news source. Furthermore, as of now, The Times of India has not published any column regarding Begum Khaleda Zia in any edition.
Conclusion:
There has been no publication in The Times of India stating that Begum Khaleda Zia will be the next Prime Minister. The viral post has been taken from an old article in The Times of India published in 2012.
Result: False
Our Sources:
Times of India
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