49 Indian media outlets have reported falsely about Bangladesh: Rumor Scanner

  • Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

At least 13 fake news stories have been found circulating in Indian media from August 12 to December 5 after the country's political upheaval. At least 49 Indian media outlets have been named in a report by fact-checking agency Rumor Scanner in Bangladesh for spreading such fake news.

Of these, Republic Bangla has spread the most rumors with 5. Hindustan Times, Zee News and Live Mint are next, each of which has published at least 3 rumors. In addition, Republic, India Today, ABP Anand and Aaj Tak have spread at least 2 rumors each.

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These rumors included - fake open letter in the name of Sheikh Hasina after her resignation, a video of a Muslim man forming a human chain in search of his missing son being spread by a Hindu man, fake news of Dr. Muhammad Yunus being admitted to the ICU, baseless claims of lifting the ban on banned militant organizations in Bangladesh, False claims that Dr. Yunus fled to France, false claims of bringing weapons through Pakistani ships, promotion of slain lawyer Saiful Islam as Chinmoy Krishna's lawyer, rumors of Indian channels being shut down in Bangladesh, dissemination of videos of Indian idol immersion demanding that Hindu temples be vandalized due to attacks by Muslims in Bangladesh, false information about the attack on Shyamoli Paribahan bus, false claims about the attack on Chinmoy Krishna's lawyer and misleading news about the UK issuing a travel warning stating that there may be a terrorist attack in Bangladesh.

After being ousted from power on August 5 and taking refuge in India, Sheikh Hasina wrote an open letter to the people from Delhi and in that letter, a piece of information was spread in the Indian media claiming that she blamed the United States for her ouster.

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Although it is known that Sheikh Hasina did not write any such letter. Rumor Scanner's investigation revealed that this letter was first spread on Facebook and later published with a date in the print edition of the Agartala-based daily 'Tripura Future' in India. After that, the screenshot of that newspaper was widely shared on social media and later it was also circulated in some media outlets in India and Bangladesh.

After August 5, a video went viral in various media outlets in India, claiming that a Hindu man was forming a human chain demanding the search for his missing son. However, a search by Rumor Scanner revealed that the man was actually a Muslim and his name was Babul Howlader. He had formed the human chain in search of his missing son in 2013.

After Sheikh Hasina lost power, an interim government was formed on August 8 with Dr. Muhammad Yunus as its chief adviser. Indian media claimed that the chief adviser to the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, had fallen ill and was admitted to the ICU. Along with this claim, a picture of a person undergoing treatment in a hospital was also published. However, a search by Rumor Scanner revealed that the picture was not of Dr. Yunus. The picture was not a recent picture or a picture of Bangladesh. In fact, Dr. Yunus is healthy.

Indian media claimed that the ban on several banned militant organizations in Bangladesh has been lifted after the change in the political landscape of Bangladesh. However, the Rumor Scanner team's investigation did not find any truth in this claim. This false claim was circulated in Indian media without any reliable information and evidence.

On November 5, Republican candidate Donald Trump won the 47th presidential election of the United States. After Trump's victory, a claim spread in the Indian media that Dr. Muhammad Yunus had fled to France. However, the Rumor Scanner investigation revealed that this claim is false. The photo of the plane used as evidence of the escape was taken on August 8 when Dr. Yunus returned to Bangladesh from France.

For the first time since independence, a ship carrying containers directly from Karachi, Pakistan, anchored at Chattogram Port on November 13. In this regard, Indian media claimed that the military ship named 'Swat' of Pakistan, which had brought weapons and ammunition to Chattogram Port during the Liberation War in 1971, has once again reached Chattogram Port. It was further claimed that weapons are being brought to Bangladesh from Pakistan on that ship. However, the Rumor Scanner search did not find any truth to these claims. The ship's name is 'MV Yuan Xian Fa Zhong', it is a commercial ship and raw materials and consumer goods for the industry were brought through it.

On November 25, the detective police arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jote, from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on charges of insulting the national flag.

The next day, on November 26, he was presented in the Chattogram court and his bail was rejected. After this, when tension arose in the court premises, an attempt was made to put Chinmoy in a prison van and send him to jail. At that time, when his followers started protesting, the police and BGB dispersed the protesters with batons and sound grenades. In the clash, Saiful Islam Alif, a lawyer of the Chattogram District Court, was killed. Indian media claimed that Saiful Islam was killed because he was Chinmoy's lawyer. But this claim is not correct. Chinmoy's lawyer is Subhashish Sharma, not Saiful Islam.

Some Indian media outlets claimed that Indian satellite channels have been stopped from broadcasting in Bangladesh. However, a search by Rumor Scanner shows that the channels are still active. At the same time, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh have called the matter a rumor. Rumor confirms the scanner.

Some Indian media outlets claimed that the Bangladesh Air Force will build Asia's second largest air base near Chicken Neck with Chinese technical assistance. However, Rumor Scanner's investigation revealed that this claim is completely false.

The airport in Lalmonirhat has been closed for six decades and no initiative has been taken to resume its operations in recent times.

Recently, a video of Muslims attacking a Hindu temple and vandalizing idols in Bangladesh went viral on the internet. This claim was also circulated in some Indian media outlets. However, Rumor Scanner's investigation revealed that the video is not in Bangladesh, but is a scene of idol immersion in Khandaghosh Sultanpur village in East Burdwan district of India. The video is not related to the attack on a Hindu temple in Bangladesh.

Some Indian media outlets reported that a Bangladeshi truck collided with a Shyamoli Paribahan bus on the Dhaka-Agartala-Dhaka route in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh. It was further claimed that the locals threatened to kill the Indian passengers on the Shyamoli Paribahan bus and shouted anti-India slogans.

However, Rumor Scanner's investigation revealed that there is no truth to these claims. The accident was not intentional, but mainly due to overtaking.

Various rumors were spread about the arrest of Chinmoy Das with a picture of a person undergoing treatment in the hospital. It was claimed that the person was Ramen Roy, who is Chinmoy Krishna Das' lawyer. It was also said that Muslims vandalized and attacked his house and admitted him to the ICU. However, Rumor Scanner's investigation revealed that Ramen Roy is not Chinmoy Das' lawyer and has no connection with his case.

In fact, Ramen Roy was injured in an attack by miscreants during a program of Sanatan Dharma followers opposing Chinmoy Das' arrest in Shahbagh on November 25. However, no news or evidence of vandalism of his house was found.

Some Indian media outlets have circulated information claiming that the UK has issued a travel warning stating that a terrorist attack could occur in Bangladesh at any time.

However, the UK's travel warning included not only Bangladesh but also many countries around the world, including India, Indonesia, Germany, Spain, Sri Lanka, and France.