On January 16, during the 11th season of the Bangladesh Premier League, a match took place between Fortune Barishal and Dhaka Capitals. During the match, a group of spectators chanted “fake, fake” slogans directed at Bangladesh national cricket team’s wicket-keeper batsman Liton Kumer Das. A video of the incident was shared on social media, claiming that the slogans were targeted at Liton Kumer Das because he is Hindu. It has also been alleged that Islamists use such slogans as insults against Hindus in Bangladesh.

See some of these posts shared on Facebook here (archive link), here (archive link), here (archive link), and here (archive link).

On X (formerly Twitter), similar claims were made in posts like this (archive link), this (archive link), this (archive link), and this (archive link).

On Instagram, the claim was shared in posts such as this one (archive link).

Fact-Check

According to the investigation by the Rumor Scanner team, the “Bhua Bhua” slogan directed at Liton Kumer Das was not due to his Hindu faith, nor is this slogan used as an insult against Hindus in Bangladesh. Rather, this slogan has been chanted against various individuals, including Muslim cricketers and others, on different occasions. In reality, this chant is a common practice in Bangladesh.

On January 16, during the 11th season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Fortune Barishal defeated Dhaka Capitals. During the match, while fielding, Liton Kumer Das, who is part of both the Bangladesh national cricket team and Dhaka Capitals, was subjected to the “Bhua Bhua” chants by some spectators.

In response to the incident, the BPL franchise Dhaka Capitals posted on their official Facebook page. The post stated:

“You might see a blurry video of someone being jeered, but we see a national hero who set records by scoring the fastest century in BPL history and being part of a record-breaking partnership. You see criticism; we see a star batter who played the biggest ODI innings for the country and achieved the highest Test ranking for a Bangladeshi batter.

Subsequently, in response to this incident, the BPL franchise Dhaka Capitals posted on their official Facebook page. In the post, they stated:

“You may see someone being booed in a blurry video; we see a national hero who smashed the fastest century in BPL history and became part of a record-breaking partnership. You see criticism; we see a star batter who has played the largest ODI innings for his country and reached the highest ranking as a batter in Tests for Bangladesh. You see obstacles; we see the creation of historic moments. Litton, you are a symbol of our love. You are our pride.”

Additionally, another BPL franchise, Rangpur Riders, also expressed their solidarity on their verified Facebook page regarding the incident. They wrote:

“With the bat in hand, you’ve written countless fairy tales in the red and green jersey, giving us countless reasons to celebrate! We remember and support that very Litton Das. Stay strong, Litton Kumer Das!”

Moreover, netizens also expressed anger and disappointment on Facebook (1, 2, 3) regarding the incident where some spectators booed Litton Kumer Das.

**Is the “Bhua Bhua” slogan in Bangladesh only used against Hindus?**

The “fake, fake” slogan has been observed in various contexts in Bangladesh at different times. For example, on January 19, during the Chittagong Kings vs. Fortune Barishal match, the chant “Bhua Bhua” was heard in the queue of spectators in front of the main gate of the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Chittagong supporters chanted “Bhua” at Barishal supporters, who responded by chanting “fake” back at them.

Instances of “Bhua Bhua” Slogan Against Muslim Cricketers

Despite not participating in any match during the ongoing season of the BPL, “fake, fake” chants were directed at Shakib Al Hasan. (source)

In the 10th season of the BPL (2023), during the Sylhet phase, spectators chanted “Bhua Bhua” against Shakib. (source)

On another occasion, after Eid prayers last year, Shakib Al Hasan was subjected to “Bhua Bhua” chants (source). In 2024, Shakib celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr in the United States with his wife and three children. On April 10 of that year, he attended Eid prayers at the Jamaica Muslim Center, where a section of the attendees shouted “Bhua Bhua” at him.

Earlier in 2023, Shakib also faced the same slogan (source). On October 26, after finishing practice at Mirpur, some fans booed him with chants of “Bhua Bhua.”

Similarly, during a BPL match last year, spectators chanted “Bhua Bhua” against former national team captain and opening batter Tamim Iqbal. (source)

In February last year, chants of “Bhua Bhua” were also directed at Nazmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of the Bangladesh national cricket team). (source

These examples clearly show that several Bangladeshi cricketers targeted with the “Bhua Bhua” slogan, including Shakib, Tamim, and Shanto, are all Muslims.

During a test match between Bangladesh and South Africa last year, some students shouted “Bhua Bhua” after being denied entry without tickets. (source)

“Bhua Bhua” Chants Directed at the Army and Police

In November of last year, a minor incident escalated into a violent clash between students of Dhaka College and City College, turning the capital’s Science Lab intersection into a battlefield. During the chaos, a group of students directed ‘bhua bhua’ chants at the army. (source)

During last year’s quota reform movement, students chanted ‘bhua bhua’ slogans at the police as a reaction to their handling of the protests. (source)

On November 11 of last year, during the second case hearing related to the petrol bomb attack on a bus in Chauddagram, Comilla, that killed eight people, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.K.M. Shahidul Hoque was brought to court. At the courthouse, ‘bhua bhua’ chants were directed at the former IGP by lawyers and aggrieved members of the public. (source)

Directed at Politicians

On July 31 last year, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader faced “Bhua Bhua” chants from former student leaders during a heated exchange (source) (video).

On August 4, during a court session, chants of “Bhua Bhua” were directed at Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League, and the student wing by lawyers from the Nationalist Lawyers’ Forum. (source)

Directed at Teachers

On March 16, students at Jagannath University chanted “Bhua Bhua” at their Vice-Chancellor. (source)

On June 24, staff at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) chanted “Bhua Bhua” during a protest against the Vice-Chancellor. (source)

On July 16, during quota reform protests, Dhaka University students attacked a professor while chanting “Bhua Bhua”. (source)

Directed at Celebrities

On November 16, actress Pori Moni faced “Bhua Bhua” chants during an event at Jamuna Future Park). (source)

In June 2023, actor Zayed Khan faced similar chants at the Dhallywood Film and Music Awards in New York). (source)

In conclusion, based on the aforementioned information and evidence, it is clear that the slogan ‘bhua bhua’ has been chanted at various times in Bangladesh against individuals from different professions and social groups, most of whom were Muslims. Therefore, it can be unequivocally stated that this slogan is not directed specifically against Hindus but has been used at different times against people of any religion or background.

Litton Kumer Das’s Recent Performance

In 2024, Litton Kumer Das failed to perform as expected in ODIs. His scores were 0, 0, 2, 4, and 0 in five ODIs last year (source). Out of these matches, he was dismissed for zero runs three times, and his total run tally for the year was just 6. In ODIs, Litton now has 15 ducks to his name.

Regarding Litton’s recent performance, on December 15, BCB director Nazmul Abedeen Fahim stated:
“It would be very unfortunate if we fail to bring out the best in him. However, at this moment, everyone is undoubtedly disappointed with his performance. But giving up is not an option; we need to stand by him. Hopefully, he will return to form soon.”

On January 12, Litton Kumer Das was not included in the squad for the Champions Trophy announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). His exclusion was attributed to his recent poor performance.

Speaking about his exclusion, Litton Kumer Das himself commented (source):
“If you talk about the Champions Trophy, that’s not in my hands. It’s entirely the selectors’ call—who will play and who won’t. My job is to perform, which I wasn’t able to do for some time. I was upset about that and focused on how to deliver a good performance.”

Conclusion

The available evidence strongly suggests that the ‘bhua bhua’ slogan in Bangladesh is not directed at any specific religious or social group. It has been used in various contexts, targeting individuals from diverse professions and backgrounds, including renowned Muslim cricketers like Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, and Najmul Hossain Shanto. While Liton Kumer Das, a Hindu cricketer, was also subjected to the slogan, this does not indicate any religious bias. Instead, the slogan is a generalized expression of frustration or criticism, not linked to any specific community. Therefore, the claim that the slogan targets Hindus, including Liton Kumer Das, is baseless and false.