Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
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.
Claim
Muslims hold Hindus hostage and forcibly convert them to Islam in Bangladesh.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
Fact
Newschecker ran a reverse image search of keyframes of the viral video, which led us to this Youtube video, uploaded by SomoyTVBulletin on July 16, 2024, weeks before the demonstrations that initially began as student protests against job quotas swelled into a movement forcing Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on August 5. The headline of the video states that the protesting students were offering their Zuhr (one of the five daily prayers performed by Muslims) in Basundhara, Bangladesh. Similar videos can be seen here and here, confirming that the viral clip predates the August 5 ouster of Hasina.
University students had been protesting across Bangladesh since July 1, 2024, to demand the removal of quotas in government jobs after the High Court reinstated a rule that reserves nearly one-third of posts for the descendants of those who participated in the country’s 1971 liberation movement.
A relevant keyword search led us to this SomoyNews TV report, featuring a screengrab of a similar, clearer video of the praying students, dated July 16, 2024. “The quota reform activists are offering prayers. The photo was taken from the area in front of Bashundhara Gate on Tuesday,” read the caption of the photo.
“Students of various private universities are protesting by blocking the road in front of Bashundhara Gate of the capital. During the hour-long stand, when it was time for Zuhr prayer, the students stood in a row and performed the obligatory prayer. Other students standing nearby continued their sloganeering and agitation,” read the report, translated from Bangla. A similar report from Dhaka Press, dated July 16, 2024, can be seen here, confirming that the video shows the agitating students offering Zuhr prayers.
Result: False
Sources
Youtube video, SomoyTVBulletin, July 16, 2024
SomoyTV news report, July 16, 2024
Dhaka Press report, July 16, 2024
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
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.
