A video of a person swimming in a pond and a mob attacking him by throwing stones in the pond is going viral on social media with the claim that a Hindu man in Bangladesh has been stoned to death by the mob.
Sharing the video on Facebook user wrote, “#Hindu man #stoned to death in Bangladesh amid riots
A mob of 1,500 targeted a Hindu man in Juri Upazila, Bangladesh, trapping him in a pond as he tried to save his life. The mob then proceeded to stone him to death while he was in the water.
#SaveHindus #Bangladesh”
Facebook Link | Archived Link.
However, as we investigated, we came to know that the claim was false. The incident has no communal aspect. Here’s the fact check.
Fact Check
We started our investigation by taking some screenshots from the viral video and conducting a reverse image search. As a result, we found the video on a YouTube channel on 11 August 2024, where the caption mentioned that the video shows an Awami League leader.
Taking this clue, we conducted a keyword search in the Bangla language. As a result, we found a video report on the YouTube channel Kalbela News uploaded on 10 August 2024. According to the report, the person trying to escape from the mob by swimming was an Awami League leader and Mayor of Akhaura municipality, Takzil Khalifa Kajal. His house was set on fire by the mob and after that, the Mayor tried to escape by swimming away in the pond.
Moving forward, we found a news report published in the Dhaka Post on 8 August 2024. In the report, a screenshot from the viral video was attached. According to the report “After Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country, attacks on Awami League leaders and activists and attacks on their homes and offices are going on. Similarly, similar incidents are happening in different areas of Brahmanbaria. However, the incident of the escape of Takzil Khalifa Kajol, the powerful mayor of Akhaura municipality, has given rise to public discussion.
It is known that after the attack on his house last Monday (August 5), he jumped into the nearby pond and escaped by swimming. The video of him swimming in the pond has gone viral. Many people say that after getting out of the pond, she put on a burqa and ran away with the agitators.
Earlier, the angry mob attacked Mayor Kajol’s house and set it on fire. Later everything in the house was looted.
Takzil Khalifa Kajal was the mayor of Akhaura Municipality as well as the General Secretary of Upazila Awami League. Moreover, he was very close to Law Minister Anisul Haque of the Awami League government.
Incidentally, councillor Babul Mia is serving as the panel mayor after the mayor fled”.
Please read here. Archived Link.
A similar report can be read here. Archived Link.
From this, it is clear that the viral video has been shared with false communal claims. The person swimming away in the video was Takzil Khalifa Kajal, Mayor of Akhaura municipality, Bangladesh.
Conclusion
From our investigation, we can say that the claim is false. The person swimming away in the video was Takzil Khalifa Kajal, Mayor of Akhaura municipality, Bangladesh. The incident has no communal aspect.
Title:Was A Hindu Man Stoned To Death In Bangladesh? Here’s The Truth.
Fact Check By: Debanjana BaishyaResult: False
