A video showing empty chairs at a reception for BNP lawmaker Dr. Abdus Salam from Thakurgaon-2 has gone viral on social media, prompting widespread discussion. The event took place on Tuesday at Samir Uddin College field in Baliadangi, organized by the upazila BNP and its affiliated bodies to honor the newly elected MP. The footage showed guests on stage but few attendees in front, leading some users to label it a “reception in an empty field.”

In response, Dr. Salam’s daughter Kashfia Salam Nirjhar stated on Facebook that the viral video did not represent the full event. She explained that her father’s main program was scheduled for the evening but was held earlier because he had to return to Dhaka for urgent work. BNP activists and local residents also claimed the video captured only a brief moment and that the evening program drew a large crowd.

Organizers said the MP’s early departure led to a rescheduled reception, followed by a cultural program later in the evening attended by thousands, though some senior local BNP leaders were notably absent.