Recently, a video of a Bangladeshi young girl explaining how she was sexually assaulted was shared on Indian social media, with the claim that the girl was raped because she is Hindu.
A post on X (formerly Twitter) claimed: “She is crying because she is hindu and 14 year old, She got raped by 10 Musl!m men in a day in Bangladesh & they thrown her in street. Right now she has been hospitalized due to excessive bleeding. No one will speak up bcz she is hindu..”
Another user on X shared the video with the caption: “In #Chakaria Upazila of Cox’s Bazar, a minor girl was gang-raped in broad daylight by 10 militants of Jamaat-e-Islami and left on the road. She has been admitted to the hospital due to excessive bleeding. Hear the details from the girl herself. #SaveBangladeshiHindus.” By using the hashtag, the post indirectly suggested that the girl is Hindu.
A handle quoted this post, mentioning Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson, asking, ‘Will you also speak up for the Hindu girls who are regularly killed and forcibly converted by Islamists in Bangladesh?'”
Fact-Check
Rumor Scanner’s investigation confirmed that the claim that the girl in the video is Hindu is false. The girl was falsely portrayed as Hindu; she is indeed Muslim. After speaking with local police and a journalist from the area, we have verified that the victim girl is Muslim.
We examined the video and identified the text “Channel Inani” displayed on it. Using this clue, we tracked down the Facebook page from which the video was taken, and later, an emoji had been placed on the video. We found the original version of the video on the page. However, neither the video nor its caption mentions the identity of the victim. In the video, the girl explains how the heinous crime occurred to her.
We also came across numerous media reports on the incident, and after reviewing several of them, we noticed that none of the reports disclosed the girl’s identity, in respect of her privacy. Therefore, it is clear that the girl was baselessly and falsely claimed as Hindu.
The Daily Star reported that a 14-year-old girl has allegedly been gang-raped at Badarkhali union in Chakaria upazila, Cox’s Bazar. According to the victim’s statement, she was abducted at knifepoint and raped by around 8 to 10 men near the Bodorkhali bridge, as confirmed by Manjur Kader Bhuyan, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chakaria Police Station. The incident occurred on Sunday around 10:00 PM when the girl, a resident of Moheshkhali upazila, was returning home from Banshkhali upazila in Chattogram.
So far, three individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident. OC Md. Manjur Kader Bhuyan stated that three people have been detained regarding the gang rape of the teenage girl in Badarkhali. Efforts are underway to send them to court for questioning. The victim’s family has filed a case in connection with the incident.
Later, to verify the claim that the young woman is Hindu, we contacted the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chakaria Police Station, Manjur Kader Bhuiyan, over the phone. When we asked about her identity and religious affiliation, he informed us that the victim is Muslim. He also provided her name and identity, which we are not disclosing in the article to maintain the victim’s privacy.
We also found a report mentioning that a local journalist from Chakaria, named Al Jaber, was one of the rescuers of the woman from the scene. Later, we obtained his contact information and spoke with him regarding the circulating claim. Al Jaber confirmed that the victim of the rape is Muslim and stated that the claim suggesting the girl is Hindu is fabricated propaganda.
Therefore, the claim that the girl who was gang-raped in Chakaria, Bangladesh, is Hindu, and that she was raped because she is Hindu, is false.
Sources
- Media reports on the incident
- Statement from the local police
- Statement from a local journalist
