Claims circulated on social media that Rezaul Karim Rony has been appointed to Bangladesh Television (BTV) remain unsubstantiated so far, with officials saying they have no knowledge of such an appointment.

However, multiple sources inside the state broadcaster have confirmed to Daily Waadaa that Rony has been given an office beside the director general's room.

The room previously belonged to BTV's director of administration, according to the sources. They said Rony is regularly seen inside the BTV building and uses the room allocated to him.

However, the sources said they were unaware of any formal appointment, recruitment order or official designation authorising his presence.

BTV Director General Kazi Jesin told Waadaa that Rezaul Karim Rony had been given a room at the state broadcaster, where he works alongside “a few other” researchers to develop programmes.

She said no room at BTV headquarters bears a nameplate identifying it as Rezaul Karim Rony's office.

The controversy began after a Facebook account named Ahnaf Tamid posted a photograph of a nameplate, claiming Rony had been given an office adjacent to BTVDirector General Kazi Jesin's office.

The post alleged that the arrangement had been concealed from the government.

It quickly circulated across Facebook, prompting questions about Rony's alleged appointment and demands for an official explanation.

Meanwhile, an independent fact-check by online news outlet The Dissent has confirmed that the viral photograph showing Rony's nameplate was taken inside BTV headquarters.

The outlet tracked down the person who took the photograph and examined the metadata of the original image captured on the photographer's mobile phone.

According to The Dissent, the metadata confirmed that the photograph was taken inside the BTV building.

The photographer, a BTV official, agreed to the verification on condition of anonymity.

At least two other BTV sources also confirmed to The Dissent that the photograph was taken inside the broadcaster's headquarters.

One source said Rony has been using a room on the fifth floor of BTV's 12-storey headquarters, the same floor where the director general's office is located.

“Rony has been working there for about a month,” the source said.

The source explained that rooms occupied by BTV officials normally have nameplates displaying their names, designations and even official grades.

However, the nameplate outside the room used by Rony reportedly displayed only his name, without any designation.

“The room where Rony sits previously belonged to BTV's director of administration. That position is currently vacant. Everyone at BTV knows that Rony sits in that room,” the source told The Dissent.

What does BTV say?

Waadaa earlier contacted Asifa Siddika, assistant director (administration) and coordination officer at the BTV director general's office, to verify the claim.

Siddika said she had no knowledge of Rony joining the office.

Initially surprised by the allegation, she reiterated that she was unaware of any such appointment after being informed that the inquiry was part of a fact-check.

BTV Assistant Director (Administration) Mohammad Mozammel gave a similar response.

He said he had no information about Rony being recruited or appointed to the broadcaster.

Asked whether BTV would take legal action if false information about the director general's office was being circulated, Mozammel said that decision rested with the DG's office.

Speaking separately to The Dissent, BTV Director General Kazi Jesin confirmed that Rony had been engaged as a freelance researcher for a programme.

“Whenever necessary for a BTV programme, we regularly outsource work to different individuals,” she said.

“He has been engaged as a freelancer to conduct research for one of our programmes. He comes here and sits in a room shared by five people. Rony also sits in that room. This is not even a contractual appointment.”

What does Rony say?

Contacted by Waadaa on Sunday evening, Rony categorically denied joining BTV.

He accused Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir of spreading the allegation.

Rony also questioned why he would accept a position at the BTV director general's office when, according to him, he had previously declined an offer to become a minister in a BNP government.

Speaking separately to The Dissent, Rony said the viral photograph was taken at his office while maintaining that he had no office at BTV.

He did not clarify which office he was referring to.

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*** This story has been updated with BTV Director General Kazi Jesin's comment.