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.
Claim: A Maulana threatens Hindus and asks them to leave Bangladesh.
Fact: The threat was not meant for Hindus. A longer version of the video shows the man asking associates of the Awami League to leave the country. It was also found that the man seen in the video is not a Moulovi/Maulana.
A video is going viral on social media platforms, claiming to show a Maulana giving an ultimatum to Hindus in Bangladesh to leave the country in 7 days. A verification by Newschecker however found the claim to be false and the video to be shared out of context.
The man can be heard saying in the video, “Be cautious, I give you a one-week ultimatum; after one week, I will show you. Sometimes in the name of Hindus, sometimes in the name of minorities, sometimes in the name of Chittagong Press Club. What do they say at Chittagong Press Club? They call them leaders! I want to tell the so-called journalists not to create distractions.”
Many users shared the video on Facebook. A few such instances can be seen here, here, here, here, here & here.
Fact check/ Verification
To verify the authenticity of the viral video claiming that a Maulana gave a 7-day ultimatum to Hindus, we split the video into several keyframes and conducted a reverse image search on them.
This led us to a 7 minute long video on YouTube, uploaded on September 28, 2024, by a user called @mdjunaidabdullah. The video is titled “জুলাই বিপ্লবের শহীদ পরিবার ও যোদ্ধাদের নিয়ে স্মৃতিচারণ ও সাংস্কৃতিক সন্ধ্যায় এমদাদ ভাইয়ার বক্তব্য’’ (Speech of Amdad Bhai at the Commemoration and Cultural Evening with the Martyr Families and Fighters of July Revolution).
In the last few seconds of the video, one can spot the portion of the video that is now viral.
From the description of the video, we learn that the event took place at Shirish Tala, CRB Chittagong and that the speaker, Saifuddin Amdad, was speaking at an event called cultural evening.
Following the source of this YouTube video, we conducted some relevant keyword searches and found the speaker’s Facebook ID (Babu Amdad) on social media platform Facebook.
Upon visiting the ID, we found a pinned post on the timeline of the user,in which he clarified that his speech has been distorted and spread with misinformation.
Scrolling through his timeline, we also found the original video from the event. This video was uploaded on September 28, 2024 with the caption “Tell them to flee quickly!”
In the longer video, one can hear Amdad say, “I want to warn them, if we have to come on the road to ensure their punishment, we will. They are still conspiring. I am not sure whether you know or not, sometimes in disguise of the hindus, minorities, sometimes with the help of Chattagram Press Club! What do they call them in the Chattagram Press Club; neta, leader and the so called journalists! I want to warn them. Don’t try to conspire. Tuck up your tail and leave the country. Leave the country as soon as possible. Leave the country as soon as possible. All your ancestors have fled, Sheikh Hasina fled. Do not play with us.Be careful. Im giving you one week ultimatum, one week ultimatum! Then you will see. As long as Im alive we will show you what we can do.”
After reviewing the complete video of his original speech, it becomes clear that he was addressing the associates of the Sheikh Hasina government responsible for the July massacre, and not Hindus. The speaker, Saifuddin Amdad, specifically mentions Sheikh Hasina’s name in his speech.
However, a part of his speech where he uses the term “Hindu” has been particularly highlighted in the propaganda that he has given Hindus a 7-day ultimatum to flee the country.
It should be noted that Saifuddin Amdad was a coordinator and an active participant in the 2024 mass uprising. He was also injured during the protests, as can be seen in this report by Prothom Alo.
Therefore, we find that the viral videos are being circulated using portions of Saifuddin Amdad’s speech.
Conclusion
Thus we find that the viral video does not show a maulana issuing an ultimatum to Hindus to flee the country in seven days. The video shows Saifuddin Amdad, a freelance journalist and a coordinator of the July uprising, warning associates of the Awami League to flee the country.
Result: False
Sources
Amdad’s Pinned post, Original Video।
Youtube Video-‘জুলাই বিপ্লবের শহীদ পরিবার ও যোদ্ধাদের নিয়ে স্মৃতিচারণ ও সাংস্কৃতিক সন্ধ্যায় এমদাদ ভাইয়ার বক্তব্য’
Prothom Alo
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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.
