Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
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
Video of a man inappropriately touching a female student linked to Bhagwa Love Trap conspiracy.
Fact
Old video from Bangladesh shared with false communal spin.
A video of a man inappropriately touching a Hijab-clad girl in what appears to be a classroom has been linked to “Bhagwa Love Trap,” – a counter “Love Jihad conspiracy” wherein Hindu men allegedly seduce Muslim women and abandon them after converting them. The two-minute-twenty-second-long footage has been shared with online with “#Savemuslimgirls #Bhagwa_Love_Trap #bhagvalovetrap”
Twitter user @BaniAdam013 shared the footage asserting, “Now see this and remember what Maulana Sajjad Naumani Sahab said few days ago if the girl is trapped in such Filthy place in the name of education and classes what is the use of this Filthy education #Savemuslimgirls #Bhagwa_Love_Trap #bhagvalovetrap”
Archived version of the tweet can be seen here.
Newschecker received the link of the tweet on our G-mail tipline (checkthis@newschecker.in) requesting to be fact checked.
Old Video Revived With Communal Twist
Notably, the video had earlier gone viral in 2020 with users allegeding to show a Madarsa teacher harassing a female student.
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
Newschecker Hindi team had debunked the same on October 20,2020.
Also Read: Did RSS Issue Letter Instructing Hindu Men To Coax Muslim Women Into ‘Ghar Wapsi’?
Fact Check/Verification
A Google lens search on the keyframes of the video led us to a Facebook post by @jinnat.kabir.3, dated July 8, 2020. Carrying a longer version of the video, it stated, “Mr. Nurul Haque, head teacher of Uzirpur Sonar Bangla Secondary School in Barisal district. He teaches students privately with great care. (translated from Bengali with the help of Google)”
Notbaly, Barishal (Barisal) is a district in Bangladesh.
Also Read: Viral Video Of Man Confessing To Wife’s Murder Goes Viral With False Communal Claim
Taking a clue, we looked up “Uzirpur Sonar Bangla Secondary School,” and “Nurul Haque” in Bengali on Google which yielded a report by Bangladesh-based Kaler Kantho, dated July 22, 2020. Displaying screengrabs from the clip shared to show “Bagwa love trap,” the report identified that man as the headmaster of Sonar Bangla Secondary School of Uzirpur, Nurul Haque Sarder. It added that a legal action was taken in the matter, and that the video dates back to 2016.
Multiple other news outlets had reported on the incident identifying the man as Nurul Haque Sarder. Such reports can be seen here, here and here.
Conclusion
Video of a headmaster, named Nurul Haque Sarder, inappropriately touching a female student in Bangladesh has been falsely linked to the “Bhagwa Love Trap” conspiracy.
Result: False
Sources
Facebook post by @jinnat.kabir.3, dated July 8, 2020
Report By Kaler Kantho, Dated July 22, 2020
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
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.
