Recently, a claim circulated on social media, asserting that “two Hindu women were brutally murdered while returning home after celebrating Vijaya Dashami in Bangladesh.” This claim was primarily spread through Indian social media accounts.
See posts circulated on X under this claim: Post 1 (Archive), Post 2 (Archive), Post 3 (Archive), Post 4 (Archive)
Posts on Facebook under the same claim can be found here: Post 1 (Archive), Post 2 (Archive)
Fact-Check
An investigation by the Rumor Scanner team revealed that the claim of the two Hindu women being brutally murdered on their way home after celebrating Vijaya Dashami is false. Instead, they died due to toxic alcohol consumption after returning home.
According to a report published by the mainstream media outlet Ajker Patrika on October 12 (link),the two women fell ill after returning from a puja pandal in Faridpur and were taken to the hospital. One died during treatment, while the other passed away en route to the hospital.
The deceased women were identified as Puja Biswas (20) and Ratna Saha (22), both students of Rajendra College in Faridpur. They were friends and lived together in a rented apartment.
Puja Biswas’s aunt, Bithi Biswas, reported that Puja and Ratna returned from the puja pandal around 10:30 PM. At about 1:00 AM, they began vomiting and informed their family that they had consumed alcohol. They were initially taken to Faridpur Sadar Hospital and, due to worsening conditions, later transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital at approximately 3:30 AM.
The Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station, Md. Asaduzzaman, stated that, according to doctors, the deaths were caused by excessive alcohol consumption. The bodies were sent to the morgue at Faridpur Medical College Hospital for autopsy. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after receiving the autopsy report, and necessary action will be taken following an investigation.
The Deputy Director of Faridpur’s Department of Narcotics Control, Shamim Hossain, informed the media (Inqilab report) that alcohol consumption does not usually cause death. However, consuming toxic or adulterated alcohol could have led to their deaths. He added that, a few days earlier, authorities had conducted a raid, seized adulterated alcohol, and arrested members of a gang.
The Rumor Scanner team reviewed the death certificates and autopsy reports for the two women. According to the reports:
Puja Biswas passed away at 4:20 AM, while Ratna Saha was brought to the hospital already deceased. The cause of death for both women was listed as alcohol poisoning.
Furthermore, neither the victims’ families nor any Hindu religious organizations in Bangladesh have alleged murder.
Conclusion
The deaths of two Hindu women in Faridpur, caused by toxic alcohol consumption, were misrepresented as murders allegedly occurring on their way home after celebrating Vijaya Dashami, which is misleading.
Sources
- Rumor Scanner’s investigation.
- Ajker Patrika – মণ্ডপ থেকে ফিরে বমি, হাসপাতালে নেওয়ার পর ২ তরুণীর মৃত্যু
- Inqilab – ফরিদপুরে বিষাক্ত মদ পানে মৃত্যুর ঠিকানা খুঁজে নিলেন দুই কলেজ ছাত্রী (পর্ব-১)
