Social media posts falsely claimed that Bangladeshi film actor, producer and director Ilias Kanchan had died. Liton Ershad, vice-chairman of the Nirapad Sarak Chai central committee, said Kanchan is well and described the reports as entirely false. Kanchan, who has a brain tumour, is currently receiving treatment in London.

Ershad said misinformation was being spread and causing confusion. Kanchan’s family had also previously described reports of his death as baseless. Relatives and close associates urged people not to be misled by the claims circulating online and said such rumours should not be shared without information from reliable sources.

After more than 15 months of treatment in London, Kanchan returned to Bangladesh on August 3 to spend time with family and close acquaintances. He attended Nirapad Sarak Chai’s 11th grand rally at the Shilpakala Academy in the capital on August 7. On August 9, he said he felt somewhat more comfortable after returning home and sought prayers to complete his treatment quickly and return to the country.