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 shows the remains of prisoners who died in the underground cellars at the behest of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh.
Such posts can be seen here and here.
Also Read: Viral Video Showing Plight Of Hindu Women In Bangladesh Is Actually Staged
Fact
A reverse image search on the keyframes of the viral video led us to a TikTok post by @Achilles.bc. Carrying the same video, the post identified the place to be Catacombs in Paris.
In the eighteenth century, the population of Paris increased and so did the spread of diseases, and death rates. The city suffered a shortage of space in cemeteries, and dead bodies began to rot. This prompted the local administration to transfer the bodies in an old, abandoned quarry outside the city. This site then came to be known as the Paris Catacombs, and was later opened for the tourists.
Also Read: Bangladesh Crisis – Girl Seen Humiliated In Viral Video Is Not Hindu
Reportedly, Sheikh Hasina’s political opponents were imprisoned in mysterious cells called the “Aynaghar” or “House of Mirrors.” Multiple outlets such as Voice of America and Netra News featured the images from such secret prison cells in Bangladesh. However, the same did not resemble the place seen in the viral video.
Hence, a video from France has been falsely shared to show the remains of prisoners who were locked up in cells in Bangladesh under the Sheikh Hasina regime.
Result: False
Sources
TikTok Post By @Achilles.bc
Les Catacombes De Paris Website
Article By History
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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.
