Factcheck: Viral photo of Sonam Wangchuk with Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus is from 2020
Screenshot of viral post claiming Sonam Wangchuk met Bangladesh Chief Advisor is misleading
The image circulating on social media shows Sonam Wangchuk in a recent meeting with the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh
Protests in Ladakh have turned violent after weeks of mounting unrest over demands for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. The movement, led by activist Sonam Wangchuk through a prolonged hunger strike, drew large crowds in Leh, where frustration boiled over into stone-pelting, arson, and attacks on public property, including the local BJP office. Security forces responded with tear gas and firing, leaving at least four people dead and dozens injured, among them protesters and police personnel. Authorities have imposed curfew and prohibitory orders in Leh, while Wangchuk has called off his fast and appealed for peace. The unrest highlights deep discontent among locals who feel politically sidelined since Ladakh was made a Union Territory in 2019 without its own legislature, leaving decisions concentrated in New Delhi. With youth anger over unemployment, land rights, and identity concerns fueling the agitation, the next round of talks between the Centre and Ladakh’s representatives on October 6 will be crucial to restoring calm and addressing the region’s long-standing grievances.
Meanwhile, an image showing Sonam Wangchuk hugging a man is being circulated on social media with the claim that it is a recent photograph with the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh.
Factcheck:
The claim is misleading. The image is not recent but from 2020.
To verify the claim, we did a reverse image search on Google and found that the image first appeared earlier in Sonam Wangchuk’s social media posts. The post dated 08 February 2020 has the caption: “WONDERFUL MEETING Dr. YUNUS AT BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION, DHAKA. Nobel laureate, one of the biggest social entrepreneurs in the world, yet so humble and loving.” The meeting took place at the British High Commission in Dhaka, and the photo has been online since then.
On our search of the website of the Yunus Centre, a global organization founded by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to promote and disseminate his vision of a poverty-free world, we found pictures of the leader, including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, honoring a gold medal to Muhammad Yunus for giving the poorest a life of hope, opportunity, and dignity.
For further details, we did a keyword search and found no record of Sonam Wangchuk meeting Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh. Since the ousting of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 and the formation of an interim government under Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s political trajectory has shifted, creating tension with India.
The viral claim is misleading. The image is old and originally shows Sonam Wangchuk with Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus, not a recent meeting with Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor. It is being shared out of context with a misleading caption.