An image circulating online depicts a woman bound to a tree and encircled by a group of female students, with claims that she is Gitanjali Barua, the principal of Azimpur Government Girls’ School and College. According to the claim, Muslim students pressured her to resign, and when she refused, they reportedly kept her tied to the tree at the school for several hours. However, D-Intent Data has found that the woman is not Gitanjali Barua. But a different woman who came from outside to oppose the students.
The image shared with misleading claims about the principal of Azimpur Government Girls’ School and College
Several users, influencers and propagandists have shared the image of a woman tied to a tree. And made false communal claims.
Sharing the image on X (Formerly Twitter), an account @HinduVoice_in wrote, News coming in from Bangladesh. For last few days, Islamists and Muslim students are forcing Hindu teachers to resign. A shocking case has come in from Dhaka. She is Gitanjali Barua. She was the principal of Ajimpur Government Girls’ School and College. Muslim students put pressure on her to resign. She didn’t agree. So, Muslim students kept her tied to a tree in school for hours. Incident happened yesterday, on 20/08/2024. This is Pogrom going on in Bangladesh. SaveBangladeshiHindus.
Several other users, influencers and propagandists have also shared the same and made similar claims. Their posts can be seen here, @sanjoychakra, @jpsin1.
The truth about the image from Azimpur Government Girls’ School and College, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the image of a woman tied to a tree and surrounded by a group of female students came to our notice. We conducted research and analysis regarding the image. And found that the claims about Hindu Gitanjali Barua were false and baseless.
To verify the claims made by the users. We performed a relevant keyword search on Google which led us to a YouTube video containing the same visuals. According to the reports, the woman in the image is not Principal Gitanjali Barua but an outsider who came to oppose the protesting students. The protests are indeed against Gitanjali Barua and other teachers, but the woman tied to the tree is not the principal. Physically, the woman in the image bears no resemblance to Gitanjali Barua.
Hence, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the woman tied to a tree is not Principal Gitanjali Barua but an outsider who had come to oppose the protesting students.
Intent
Social media users, influencers and propagandists are circulating images from Bangladesh unrest with misleading claims to set their narrative based on religion.
Conclusion
Claim– Azimpur government girls’ school and college principal Gitanjali Barua was tied to a tree when she refused to resign.
Fact– The woman tied to a tree is not Gitanjali Barua but a different woman who had come from outside to oppose the protesting students.
Related Article: False Claim on Social Media: Beating of a Man Tied to a Tree – (dintentdata.com)
