Recently, a video has gone viral on social media platform Facebook, where a school student is seen demolishing a Shaheed Minar. The video has been circulated with the claim: “Mr. Yunus, you have succeeded, an entire generation is now destroying the country’s history and heritage.”
Additionally, several posts have been made in a negative tone alongside this video, without mentioning the actual reason behind the demolition of the Shaheed Minar. It is being claimed that the Shaheed Minar was demolished as part of an effort to erase history and heritage.
See the Facebook posts spreading these claims here: here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), here (archive), here (archive).
See similar claims posted on X here (archive).
The Indian media has also broadcasted this video with the claim: “Vandals are destroying the Shaheed Minar of the Immortal 21st.” See the Indian media’s YouTube report mentioning this claim: Aaj Tak Bangla.
Fact-Check
Rumor Scanner’s investigation found that the viral video of a student demolishing a Shaheed Minar within the school premises is not part of any communal or hate-driven act. A larger Shaheed Minar had been newly constructed at the school, and with the principal’s permission, the old, smaller Shaheed Minar was demolished.
A reverse image search of key frames from the viral video led to another video from February 20, posted by a TikTok account named Sabbir3_90.
The caption of the video states: “A new Shaheed Minar has been built nearby, so the old one is being demolished.” Another Shaheed Minar can also be seen in the background of the video.
Upon further investigation, another TikTok account belonging to a student from the same school was found. A video posted on February 21st shows students chanting slogans in front of the newly built Shaheed Minar. The banner displayed in the video confirms the school’s name as Tikari Bazar Secondary School. The same TikTok account also posted footage of the Shaheed Minar demolition, with the caption stating: “The old Shaheed Minar is being demolished because a new one has been built nearby.”
A further search using the school’s name led to a video posted on January 17 by a Facebook account named Md Mintu Biswas. The video shows the new, larger Shaheed Minar beside the demolished one. The name Tikari Bazar Secondary School is visible on a school building in the video. The caption of the video also mentions the school’s name as “#Tikari Bazar Secondary School, Sadar, Jhenaidah.” This confirms that the school had two Shaheed Minars, and the smaller one was removed.
Additionally, another Facebook post made by Md Jamshed Ali on February 21 at 8:44 AM shows multiple images of the school’s new Shaheed Minar during International Mother Language Day celebrations. Some posts and comments falsely claim that the Shaheed Minar was demolished on February 21 itself. However, in the images of the February 21 celebrations, the remains of the demolished Shaheed Minar can be seen beside the new one, confirming that it was demolished before February 21.
Photo: Scene from the celebration of International Mother Language Day in front of the school’s new Shaheed Minar this year
To verify the details, Rumor Scanner contacted Md Nowsher Ali, the headmaster of Tikari Bazar Secondary School. He confirmed that the Shaheed Minar demolition occurred about a month ago. A larger Shaheed Minar was constructed in 2023, and the old, smaller one was causing inconvenience to students during sports activities. After receiving a request from the students, he granted permission to remove the old Shaheed Minar. He also stated: “One Shaheed Minar is sufficient; there is no need for two. The old one was built by me in 1988 when I was a student at this school.”
It should be noted that while the viral video in question does not depict a communal or hate-driven act, a separate incident occurred in Gunabati Degree College, Chauddagram, Comilla, where miscreants destroyed the Shaheed Minar on the night of February 21. According to a media report (source), the college administration stated that on February 20 at 12:01 AM, teachers and later BNP leaders and activists paid tribute at the college’s Shaheed Minar. Around 12:30 AM, they left the campus. At approximately 2:00 AM, the night guard heard a loud noise and discovered that two of the three pillars of the Shaheed Minar had been broken by miscreants.
Conclusion
Since a new, larger Shaheed Minar had already been built, the old, smaller one was demolished with the headmaster’s approval. The claims suggesting this act was a hate-driven or communal activity are misleading.
Sources
- Sabbir3_90 – TikTok Post
- Md Mintu Biswas – Facebook Post
- Md Jamshed Ali – Facebook Post
- Statement of Md Nowsher Ali, Headmaster, Tikari Bazar Secondary School
- Rumor Scanner’s Analysis
