The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has come under scrutiny after falsely claiming that a viral image of an officer pressing his hand over a student’s mouth during protests was generated using artificial intelligence.

The incident occurred Wednesday as BUET students marching towards the Jamuna Bridge clashed with police, facing water cannons and sound grenades. Photographs of the crackdown quickly went viral, drawing widespread outrage.

DMP shared the controversial image on social media, labeling it AI-generated. However, multiple professional photographers, including Rajib Dhar of The Business Standard and Joyita Roy of Bangladesh Pratidin, confirmed capturing the same moment from different angles. Joyita posted her shot on Facebook, saying:
"I took this photograph right when students broke the barricade at Hare Road and police retaliated. Many other journalists recorded it too."

Fact-checker Kaderuddin Shishir has also verified the photo’s authenticity.