A video has been circulating online, purporting to show a Hindu man being stoned to death in a pond in Bangladesh’s Moulvibazar district. The disturbing video has been circulating on social media. Showing an individual swimming in a pond while being targeted by a violent crowd with stones. The accompanying claim suggests that a Hindu man jumped into a pond to escape and was stoned to death in Bangladesh’s Moulvibazar district. However, D-Intent Data has discovered that the victim individual in the video is not a Hindu individual but a Muslim man.
False claims about viral video where a man was stoned to death, disseminated by users
Several users, influencers and propagandists have shared the video of an individual being attacked with stones in a pond. And made false communal claims.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter) @Incognito_qfs wrote, Islamist Mob attacked a Hindu village. A Hindu man jumped into the pond to save his life. Jihadis formed a human chain around the pond and stoned him to death. Location: Juri Upazila, Moulvibazar District, Bangladesh.
Serial fake news peddler and propagandist account @RealBababanaras has also shared the video and wrote. “A Hindu family attacked by radical Islamists in Juri Upazila, Moulvibazar District, Bangladesh. A mob of 1500 targeted only a Hindu family in the village, abducted and raped his wife and daughter. To save his own life he jumped into a pond but this zahil jihadis surrounded. And stoned him to death inside the water.”
Several other users, influencers and propagandists have also disseminated the video and made similar communal claims. Their posts can be seen here. @ajaychauhan41, @Aryan_Odisha, @sanjoychakra, @FarazPervaiz3, @jpsin1, @TRobinsonNewEra, @Sudhir_mish, @eOrganiser.
The truth about the viral video about a man who was stoned to death, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the visuals depicting a man being attacked with stones in a pond came to our notice. We conducted research and analysis of the video. And found that the video is not related to crimes against Hindu individuals.
Subsequently, to verify the claims made by the users. We performed a reverse image search of some key frames from the viral video on Google. Eventually, this led us to several media reports containing the same visuals, According to the media reports, the man being attacked with stone is a government official from Akhaura municipality. As per the report. The man swimming in the pond has been identified as Takzil Khalifa Kajol, Mayor of Akhaura municipality. However, there are multiple reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh but this particular incident is not related to the Hindu community.
Hence, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the video of a man being attacked with stone is not a Hindu individual but a Muslim man identified as Takzil Khalifa Kajol, Mayor of Akhaura municipality.
Intent
Social media users, influencers and propagandists are circulating disturbing videos from Bangladesh violence with misleading claims to set their narrative based on religion.
Conclusion
Claim – A Hindu man jumped into a pond to save himself and was stoned to death by the extremists.
Fact– The individual being attacked with stone is not a Hindu but a Muslim man identified as Takzil Khalifa Kajol, Mayor of Akhaura municipality.
