Misinformation about Hindus being targeted in Bangladesh fuels Islamophobia fears
- Analysts said the fake news was aimed at inflaming anti-Muslim sentiment in India and undermining Bangladesh’s interim government
However, fact-checkers said that most accounts of attacks on the minority community were either exaggerated or false. Experts warned that such misinformation could be aimed at fuelling Islamophobia within India and undermining Bangladesh’s interim government.
While fact-checkers acknowledged that some Hindus have been the victims of attacks following Hasina’s resignation, they said the violence targeted members and supporters of the former prime minister’s ruling Awami League (AL) party, rather than being religiously motivated.
“Immediately after the Awami League party was thrown out of power, angry mobs violently attacked the party’s leaders and supporters, and killed many of them. During these attacks, houses and businesses of all communities, including Hindus, were targeted,” Agence France-Presse fact-checker for Bangladesh Qadaruddin Shishir told This Week in Asia.
“In most cases, the attacks were politically motivated, without stemming from any religious reasons. Some Hindu community leaders also told the local media that those attacks against Hindus did not stem from any religious reasons.”
