After the violent protesters toppled the democratically elected government of PM Sheikh Hasina, supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and radical Islamist groups including Jamaat-e-Islami have been unleashing terror against the leaders and cadre of Awami League and minority communities particularly, the Hindus. Several horrifying videos and images have surfaced from all major cities in Bangladesh, showing graphic attacks on countless Hindus, their houses and their temples.
OpIndia earlier reported how Pakistani social media handles had fueled this social unrest in Bangladesh and how it amplified fake news and anti-government propaganda shared by notorious Bangladeshi handles. Now, even though the protesters have achieved all their ‘stated and intended’ aims – the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government, the same usual suspects and handles are continuing fueling the protests and directing it against India and the Hindu community. The Pakistan-linked rumour mills have been spreading fake news targeting India and the Hindu community living in Bangladesh.
Several social media handles which have a shoddy timeline which apparently matches with bot accounts, are fueling anti-India and anti-Hindu propaganda. These anti-India posts have been alleging that Indians are making efforts to take over Bangladesh and for that it has deployed several Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) agents all across Bangladesh to provoke Islamists and radicalised supporters of opposition parties in Bangladesh to target Hindus. Needless to say that as for Islamists, Bangladeshi Hindus are more likely to be collaborators/affiliated with R&AW then Muslims and thus there is an attempt to dehumanise these Bangladeshi citizens.
Responding to Indian YouTuber Abhishek Malan’s post where he expressed concern for Bangladeshi Hindus, an X user named Sabbir Hossain dragged India’s intelligence agency, R&AW. Peddling anti-India propaganda, the user went on to allege and blame RAW (Pakistan’s reference for R&AW) for killing “Bangladeshi civilians and students”.
In his post, he also attached several dubious tweets, incidentally all of these handles are apparently working from Pakistani locations but have been claiming to give running commentary that is driving agenda in Bangladesh rather than Bangladeshi media which is already on ground and have reported nothing of such sorts.
In the dubious tweets, done from Pakistan-based handles, they alleged that around 30 R&AW personnel had been arrested while they were attempting to flee while another claimed that a senior official, the agency’s station chief was arrested. Strikingly, such fake news has been shared from handles like (@IntelPk_), Pakistan based.
Needless to say that these claims have been found to be false as the en-mass arrest of 30 officials is said to be Bangladeshi police personnel, representative of a government, who had hidden fearing for their lives from violent rioters.
2286
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) August 6, 2024
ANALYSIS: Fake
FACT: ISPR-funded propaganda accounts are circulating videos from Bangladesh unrest with the claim that 30 Indian Intelligence Agency RAW Officers Arrested in Bangladesh Army Uniform Attempting to Flee. The fact is that these claims are fake. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/HzwQMauSSZ
A Pakistani account The Intel Consortium posted a video claiming that 30 RAW officers were arrested in Bangladesh. This is fake news.
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) August 6, 2024
Fact: These are Bangladeshi policemen. Several police stations were vandalized in Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/mEoN16oygU
Ironically, the handle Sabbir Hossain itself mirrors the activities of a bot account dedicated to fanboying Munnawar Faruqui and fueling a few anti-India posts. The account created in Jan 2024 has a timeline dominated by promotional posts at highly irregular intervals.
Similarly, based out of London, Pakistani film director, anchor and YouTuber host of a program called “Khara Sach”, Mubasher Lucman also amplified this fake news to peddle anti-India narrative. He wrote, “Indian spy agency RAW’s station chief has been arrested by Bangladeshi army from Dhaka.”
A Facebook user also peddled a similar anti-India agenda.
While the fake news have already been busted, it is pertinent to highlight that the source of majority of such fake news have been Pakistani handles that are provoking Bangladeshi citizens with their anti-India and anti-Hindu agenda to turn create a strong wedge in the two countries diplomatic relations.
Major development so far in Bangladesh in last few days
The bloody protests that started in June as an anti-quota movement have been plaguing Bangladesh for almost two months. On 5th August things took a significant turn as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed resigned and departed the nation. She has since landed at the Hindon air base in India, where National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met her. The army is now in charge of the neighbouring country and has installed an “interim government” composed of judges, doctors and former military personnel as announced by Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman.
Meanwhile, the United States has revoked the visa of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to reports. This development follows reports that Western countries, including the US, wanted her removed from power. Additionally, reports suggest that the United Kingdom has told her that there are ‘no provision’ for asylum.
British immigration rules do not permit individuals to travel to the country to seek asylum or temporary refuge, as per reports citing the UK Home Office. This statement comes amid ongoing speculation that ousted Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina, currently in Delhi, might fly to London to seek sanctuary.
