'Photo not AI-generated, this happened to me,' says Buet protester whose mouth was clamped by police officer
"As far as I can remember, he [DC Masud] grabbed me when I lost balance and was falling. I was in so much pain and shocked that I still don't properly remember how I got away from there," says the student.
A photo of Buet student Rafid Khan shows a police officer covering his mouth during a scuffle on Wednesday (27 August), as police used sound grenades and water cannons to disperse engineering students marching toward the chief adviser's residence, Jamuna, on Minto Road in Dhaka.
Amid the controversy surrounding the image circulating on social media, The Business Standard contacted Rafid today (28 August), who said, "The widely discussed photo is not AI-generated. This actually happened to me."
The photo was taken on 27 August 2025. Today, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) released a statement claiming, "A deep observation of the image reveals that it is entirely generated using AI technology and bears no relation to reality."
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Recounting the incident, Rafid said a large number of students were marching along the Minto Road towards Jamuna. That's when the police advanced toward them.
"We thought of not moving further, but the police still fired tear gas shells and sound grenades," he said.
"Many of us were injured. Police began charging batons from all sides and using the water cannon. At that time, they ambushed me from behind and started beating me.
"At least six to seven policemen beat me with batons and hit me on the head with a helmet," Rafid added.
Regarding the moment DMP's Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) Masud Alam clamping his mouth, he said, "I vaguely remember someone pushing me. After I fell on the road, several police officers together beat me.
"As far as I can remember, he [Masud] grabbed me when I lost balance and was falling. I was in so much pain and shocked that I still don't properly remember how I got away from there."
A video, taken from another angle and shared on Facebook by ATN Bangla News on Wednesday, also showed the seconds before the photo was taken.
It showed how Rafid was beaten by multiple baton-wielding police officers on the footpath and on the road. As he tried to fight back, the scuffle ensued, and officers were seen beating and attempting to detain him, leading to the scene that was captured by several photographers.
When contacted regarding the DMP's statement, the force's Media Division DC Talebur Rahman told TBS, "No such incident has occurred, as shown by the photo where a police official is covering a student's mouth."
When TBS asked about photos that were published by several media capturing the event, DC Talebur said, "I am not aware of this."
