A video circulating online shows a group of 4-5 individuals forcefully stopping a vagabond, shaving his head and beard, and bathing him. This video has been falsely claimed to show extremists in Bangladesh forcibly converting a Hindu Sadhu to Islam by cutting his hair. However, these claims are entirely false. The video was created by Mahbub Creation 4. The channel run by Md Mahbub Sorkar, which focuses on helping vagabonds and mentally disturbed individuals.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter) @shibbu87 wrote. “In Bangladesh, Muslims have converted a monk into a Muslim by cutting off his dreadlocks”. (Translated from Hindi).
बांग्लादेश मे मुस्लिमों द्वारा एक साधु की जटा, जुट को काटकर मुसलमान बना दिया हैं…#Bangladesh #BangladeshiHindus pic.twitter.com/EG1ahAEYFQ
— Sujeet Swami️ (@shibbu87) December 8, 2024
Several other users and Influencers have also shared the video and made similar claims. Their posts can be seen here: @Deepakkkumardk and @NarendraJiRss.
The truth about the video shared as Hindu Sadhu, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the video and claims came to our attention. Subsequently, we conducted research and analyzed the video and found that the incident had nothing to do with forceful religious conversion.
To verify the claims made by the users. We performed a reverse image search of some key frames from the viral video using Google Lens. This led us to a Facebook post containing the same video. The video was created by Mahbub Creation 4, a channel run by Md Mahbub Sorkar, which focuses on helping vagabonds or mentally disturbed individuals.
Additionally, upon visiting their account’s timeline, similar videos (1, 2, 3) on their platform show comparable activities aimed at assisting such individuals. In this case, the group shaved the man’s head and beard, bathed him, provided new clothes. And appealed to the public to help locate his family. The elderly man does not belong to the Hindu community.
After the video went viral with misleading claims. Md Mahbub Sorkar clarified in a statement that the man was from the Muslim community and had been wandering in the area.
Therefore, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the viral video has nothing to do with forceful religious conversion in Bangladesh.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) December 9, 2024
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT:A video showing a group of men forcefully stopping a vagabond,shaving his head & beard & bathing him has been shared with false claims. It is alleged that extremists in Bangladesh forcibly converted a Hindu Sadhu to Islam by cutting his hair.(1/4) pic.twitter.com/BT35XFuH5k
Intent
Social media users and Influencers are circulating videos from Bangladesh with misleading claims to set their narrative over the ongoing unrest in the country.
Conclusion
Claim– Extremists in Bangladesh forcefully converted a Hindu Sadhu to Islam.
Fact – The video depicts people helping a vagabond person. Nothing to do with religious hate crimes.
Related Article: Fact Check: Video of documentary screening on Babri mosque in Maharashtra misrepresented as Bangladesh – D-Intent Data
