Published : 28 Sep 2025, 07:34 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:52 PM
The controversy surrounding a photo of Muhammad Yunus and his daughter with US President Donald Trump has sparked significant debate on social media.
On Saturday, Shafiqul Alam, the chief advisor’s press secretary, responded to the issue, accusing some individuals of spreading false information about the photo.
Yunus, along with his delegation, arrived in the United States on Monday to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The following day, he attended a reception hosted by Trump.
The photo, which was posted on Yunus’s official Facebook page on Saturday, shows Trump smiling with First Lady Melania Trump to his left. On the right of Trump stands Yunus, also smiling, while his daughter, Dina Yunus, is seen beside him.
Some individuals on social media began questioning the authenticity of the photo, suggesting it had been altered. They compared it with another image of Trump and his wife, Melania, posing with Panama President José Raúl Mulino and his wife.
The controversy arose as people speculated whether Yunus and his daughter’s photo had been inserted into the frame, replacing the Mulino couple.
Shafiqul was initially unavailable for comment when the issue was raised on Saturday night. However, later, he addressed the matter in a Facebook post.
He wrote, “The United States authorities sent the photo of the chief advisor and his daughter with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Friday at 6.09pm New York time.”
He also said, “What we have come to know is that normally, the White House releases these photos a few days after a reception. Hence the photo came three days after the Sept 23 reception."
In his post, Shafiqul also addressed those spreading false rumours: "I know some people are spreading lies about the photo. For you, my message is: Apni Abul Hole Apnar Abulotto Dur Korar Dayitwo Authorityr Na (if you’re a fool, it is not the responsibility of the authorities to remove your foolishness).”
