Recently, Rumor Scanner detected a video circulating online, alleging an attack in the Gangchil Asa market of 8 No. Char Elahi Union, Companyganj, Noakhali.
Some posts on ‘X’ regarding the claim used hashtags advocating for the protection of Bangladeshi Hindus. The posts alleging a recent incident criticized the current government by attributing the event to its tenure.
You can view the video circulated on “X” (formerly Twitter) here (Archive), here (Archive), here (Archive), and here (Archive).
The video circulated on Facebook can be viewed here (Archive), here (Archive), here (Archive), here (Archive), and here (Archive).
Fact Check
Rumor Scanner’s investigation reveals that the video claiming an attack on a shop in Noakhali is outdated and unrelated to any Hindu individual. Instead, the video is from 2023, which has been misrepresented as a recent incident.
At the start of the investigation, a search with relevant keywords uncovered a video uploaded on December 2, 2023, on a page named “Channel Noakhali” (Source). The footage of this video matches the video footage shared in the discussed claims.
The caption of the video states that on December 1, an attack occurred at Raj Garments in the Gangchil market of Char Elahi Union.The injured individuals included the shop owner, Shahraj Uddin (31), along with family members Haji Mostafizur Rahman (83), Md. Belayet Hossain (63), Omar Faruk (38), Shahab Uddin (63), and Imam Hossain Khan (56). According to local traders, at around 9 PM, 15-20 individuals led by Gangchil market committee secretary Md. Rajib Khan and his father-in-law Delwar Hossain launched an unexpected attack.Armed with sharp weapons, the attackers injured six people. A 2-minute and 51-second video of the incident went viral on Facebook. Reports stated that Raj Garments’ owner, Shahraj Uddin, a Chhatra League leader, faced extortion demands of BDT 100,000 from market committee secretary Md. Rajib Khan. Threats were made when the money was not paid.
On the night of Friday, December 1, Rajib and his father-in-law, armed with weapons, attacked Raj Garments. Shahraj Uddin stated to Global TV, “They demanded BDT 100,000 as extortion to allow me to conduct my business. When I refused, they repeatedly threatened me, saying I wouldn’t be allowed to run my business without paying. I demand a proper investigation and justice for this incident.”
Repeated attempts to contact Md. Rajib Khan, the market committee secretary, for a statement were unsuccessful.
The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Companyganj Police Station, Pranab Kumar, stated, “Upon receiving news of the attack, police arrived at the scene and arrested Delwar Hossain, who was seen in the video carrying a weapon. A case is being filed against him, and efforts are ongoing to arrest the others.”
Further investigation uncovered a video report titled “Noakhali Attack with Traditional Weapons Goes Viral | Noakhali Attack | Viral Video | Jamuna TV” uploaded on Jamuna TV’s YouTube channel on December 2, 2023 (Video). The footage in this report matches the footage in the discussed claims.
The report revealed that on December 1, 2023, at around 8 PM, an attack occurred at Raj Garments in Gangchil market, Char Elahi Union, Companyganj, Noakhali.
Additionally, a report published on the media’s website (Source) stated: “Locals reported that Rajib Khan’s relative Tarek tried to use an employee of Muslim’s shop for installing a deep tube well. This led to an altercation between the two parties on the evening of December 1. During this altercation, Muslim’s family members hit Rajib on the head. Later, Rajib’s relatives attacked Muslim’s nephew Md. Shahraj Uddin’s shop with sharp weapons, injuring five members of their family.”
Reports published on Jaijaidin (Source) and RTV (Source) also confirmed that the incident occurred in 2023.
Thus, the discussed incident took place in 2023 during the previous Awami League government’s tenure.
Conclusion
The 2023 attack on a Muslim shop in Noakhali has been misrepresented as a recent incident targeting Hindus, which is misleading.
Sources
- Jamuna TV: Noakhali Attack with Traditional Weapons Goes Viral
- Jamuna TV: Attack on Business Establishment in Companyganj with Traditional Weapons, Video Viral
- Jaijaidin: Attack with Traditional Weapons in Shop, Video Goes Viral, 8 Injured
- RTV: Attack with Traditional Weapons in Shop, Video Viral
- Rumor Scanner’s Own Analysis
