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

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Hindu activists hold placards and Indian national flags, as they chant the slogan, “Stop atrocities on Hindus”, and protest attacks on religious places of Hindus in Bangladesh, in Ahmedabad, India on August 13. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:16pm, 23 Aug 2024Updated: 11:25pm, 23 Aug 2024

Since the sudden ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina three weeks ago, news and social media in India have been filled with reports about Hindus in Bangladesh being targeted for attack by Muslims, with some even claiming an ongoing “Hindu genocide” is taking place in the country.

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.”

Members of the Nari Shakti Forum and their supporters take part in a protest march against alleged atrocities on Bangladeshi Hindus and other minorities, in New Delhi on August 16. Photo: EPA-EFE

Hindus constitute about 8 per cent of Bangladesh’s 170 million people and have historically supported Hasina’s AL, which identified itself as largely secular.