Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
An image of a toddler besmeared with ointment all over, is being widely shared on social media platforms claiming that the ‘3-year-old was doused with acid by Islamists in Bangladesh’. A Newschecker investigation has found the claim to be false.
An article published on a website called Indus Scrolls titled ‘Islamists in Bangladesh didn’t spare this girl child, doused her in acid’ made the claim, giving the incident a religious colour. The website does not have an ‘About Us’ section but lists an official address in Ghazaibad and G Sreedathan as its Editor in Chief.
Among the many users who shared the post on social media was one @JoyantaKarmoker, who tweeted “This innocent Hindu child named Surya Karmakar is a victim of acid terror in Bangladesh. Miscreants threw acid on members of a Hindu family in the dark of night in Sukhanpukur Union, Gabtali, Bogra dist. 3 people including children were burnt in the incident of throwing acid.” The post has received over 3,300 retweets and over 3000 likes. While the post did not mention the religion of the accused, the insinuation is palpable, as comment section saw anti-Muslim comments.
Former Oxford University Students Council President Rashmi Samant shared the same image of the child, with the caption “A hindu family including a 3-month old baby (in picture) was attacked with acid in Bogra Bangladesh” with the hashtag #HinduHumanRights. While Rashmi doesn’t mention the religion of the accused, users in comment section were quick to identify it as a communally motivated attack.
Fact check/Verification
To verify the authenticity of the claim, Newschecker conducted a keyword search on Google using Bangla keywords and found few media reports of the same incident. You can read them here, here and here.
The reports mentioned the same information that was mentioned in the article on Indus Scrolls report and identified the victims as three members belonging to the same family- Dipali Roy, 50, wife of Dulal Karmakar, Bina Roy, 20, wife of Dulal Karmakar’s son and his grandson Surya, a three-month-old baby boy. However, none of them identified the accused, or mentioned the motive of the crime.
To understand more about the crime, Newschecker reached out to Md Sirajul Islam, the Officer In charge of Gabtali model Police station in Bangaldesh’s Bogra who clarified that the issue was a fallout of personal conflict, and had no religious colour to it. “The accused, Uday, was a neighbour of the victims’ family and is also a Hindu. Sagar and Uday had an altercation over Sagar’s wife Beena, as Sagar asked Uday not to come to his house anymore. Uday was addicted to drugs and worked at a gold store and has access to chemicals. He used it to attack Bina and others in the night. He was later traced to the neighbouring district with the help of his mobile phone signals.” Sirajul Islam also added that the trio were immediately sent to Sheikh Hasina Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital to treat for their injuries.
Newschecker team reached out to Dr Partha Shankar Pal, resident physician at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, who confirmed that the patients are now being treated at the hospital, and also, that the victims suffered chemical burns, corroborating the version of the police.
Conclusion
The claim that a 3-year old was doused in acid in Bangladesh by ‘Islamists’, is not true. The matter was a result of a personal dispute, and both the victim and attacker belonged to the same community.
Rating: Partly false/Misleading
Sources
Reports in News24, BD News 24 and Samakal.com
Conversation with Md Sirajul Islam, CO
Conversation with Dr Partha Shankar Pal, Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery
(With inputs by Afroze Jahan reporting from Bangladesh)
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
