Recently, a disturbing hacking video has been circulated on social media with the claim that, “In Bangladesh, three Hindus from one family were brutally hacked to death by three Muslims using an axe because they were collecting water hyacinths for their cows.”*
Notably, similar claims have also been circulated from Facebook accounts operated from India.
See Facebook posts spreading this claim, here (Archive), here (Archive), and here (Archive).
Additionally, along with the controversial video, some images of injured individuals have been shared and promoted on X (formerly Twitter), labeling the attackers as extremists from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. See such a post on X here (Archive).
Fact Check
Rumor Scanner’s investigation reveals that the widely circulated claim of a Muslim attack on Hindus in Kaliganj, Gazipur, is not accurate. In reality, the attack was the result of a family dispute and the attackers were also Hindu. Moreover, as per the latest information, no fatalities occurred in this incident.
As part of the investigation, key frames from the viral video were extracted and subjected to reverse image search. This led to a video posted on March 31 by a Facebook account named ‘Gautam Chandra Das’. When comparing this video to the one circulating with the communal claim, clear similarities were observed.
The caption of the video states, “In Chandaya village of Ward No. 6, Kaliganj, Gazipur, three members of the same family were attacked with a kuari (a sharp weapon) over cutting water hyacinths for cattle.” However, it has not been confirmed by any reliable source whether the circulated video is actually related to this incident.
Based on details from the above post, a keyword search revealed a news report on the mainstream outlet Desh Rupantor published on March 31 titled, “Four injured in axe attack over land dispute in Kaliganj” (Source).
The report states: “An allegation has surfaced that in Chandaya village of Ward 6 under Kaliganj Municipality in Gazipur, a man attacked his cousin with an axe over a property dispute. On Sunday, March 30, Ramcharan and his son Jhantu Das allegedly attacked their cousins Narayan, Giribala, and Haradhan Chandra Das with an axe with the intention to kill, reportedly due to a long-standing land conflict.”
According to the report: “on Sunday afternoon, Narayan went to cut water hyacinths from a pond near his house to feed his cattle. Seeing this, Ramcharan and his son began hurling abuses at him. At one point, Ramcharan’s son tried to hit Narayan with a stick, while Ramcharan attacked him with an axe, striking him repeatedly. As Narayan’s wife Giribala and his brother rushed to save him, Ramcharan first delivered multiple blows to Narayan, then attacked Giribala with the axe. Locals later rescued Narayan’s wife and brother and took them to Kaliganj Sadar Hospital. As their condition was critical, doctors referred them to Dhaka for better treatment. Meanwhile, Ramcharan, his son, and another individual named Ramchandra also received treatment at Kaliganj Hospital.”
This confirms that the attackers were also Hindu.
Furthermore, a reverse image search on the photos shared in the X post led to another news report published on March 31 on the government-affiliated media outlet Jatiya Patrika Ekushey, titled:
“Narayan Chandra Das battling for life after being attacked with a Chinese axe by Ramcharan over a land dispute” (Source).
Two out of the three images shared in the viral X post were found in this report as well. It also confirms that the attackers were Hindus.
On March 31, a post regarding the incident was also made from the verified Facebook page of the Bangladesh Police. The post stated that the attackers are Hindu and are cousins by relation. It listed the names of four injured individuals but did not mention any fatalities. The post further added that “a certain opportunistic group is attempting to give the incident a communal color and spread misinformation in an effort to destabilize the law and order situation.” The public has been urged to remain alert and not to fall for rumors.
It is important to note that none of the above-mentioned reports mentioned any fatalities in connection with the incident.
Conclusion
The incident in Kaliganj, Gazipur where members of a Hindu family were attacked over a family dispute has been falsely portrayed as an attack by Muslims on Hindus. This claim is misleading.
