Amid the diplomatic stand-off between India and Bangladesh, a Dhaka-based fact-checking initiative Rumor Scanner has accused Indian media of spreading false information about their interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus. It said 72 per cent of social media accounts spreading fake and misinformation against Bangladesh were located in India.
This was revealed in a report titled 'India's disinformation flood on Bangladesh: What's actually happening?', according to Dhaka Tribune.
The report added that Rumor Scanner's probe unit identified 50 accounts on X that allegedly "disseminated various images, videos, and information related to the August events in Bangladesh, presenting them in a communal light" between August 5 and 13. The report was referring to the attack against minorities after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
These posts were viewed over 15.4 million times, the report said, adding that these "misinformation reached 10 to 12 times the number of people at that time on multiple other accounts and media."
"72% of the accounts spreading fake and misinformation are located in India. Among the account holders, there are many responsible individuals. Even several mainstream media outlets in India have propagated this false information. This disinformation flood was so powerful that it was not confined to India; even well-known public figures from different countries have promoted these claims," the fact checker claimed.
The Rumor Scanner acknowledges that these attacks against Hindus did occur but attributed it to their "political affiliations or grievances." It said Indian media and social media falsely propagated it as a communal attack.
The fact checker also blamed several Indian media outlets for "spreading these propagandas." It alleged that Indian media outlets claimed in August that bans on several extremist organisations had been lifted in Bangladesh. However, it was found to be false, Rumor Scanner added.
"Every year, around the time of Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival for Hindus, there is an increase in communal propaganda, misinformation, false information, and above all, rumours. This year was no exception," it alleged.
The Rumor Scanner said Indian media reported on "Yunus's physical illness" or "Yunus fleeing to France after Trump's victory". "Additionally, a false claim circulated on social media, where a man named Abdullah Al Mahfuz, who was arrested in 2019 as a Hizbut Tahrir leader in Chittagong, was falsely claimed to be Adviser Mahfuj. Rumour Scanner confirmed that the two individuals are different," the report said.
It added that a viral claim on social media accounts stating that a Hindu woman was raped while attending the commemoration of Shaheed Noor Hossain Day, was false. "This explosive claim, shared in posts reaching nearly 800,000 people, was proven false by Rumour Scanner," it added.
It also accused another Bengali channel of falsely carrying a report that a Pakistani ship carrying weapons and ammunition had arrived at the Chittagong port.
