Claim: Video shows a Hindu temple being attacked in Bangladesh

Fact Check: BOOM found that the incident in the viral video is from an attack on a Sufi shrine in Kazipur, Sirajganj, Bangladesh in August 2024. BOOM Bangladesh reached out to a local reporters who confirmed the location and stated that it is a Sufi shrine and not a Hindu temple.

A video of a mob vandalising a Sufi shrine in Bangladesh in August this year is being shared as an attack on a Hindu temple in the country.

The incident in the video is from August 2024 when the Sufi shrine of Ali Pagla in Kazipur, Sirajganj in Bangladesh was vandalised.

BOOM Bangladesh reached out to a local reporters who confirmed the location and stated that it is a Sufi shrine and not a Hindu temple. Bangladesh has been in a state of flux since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country in early August following widespread protests.

Viral video from Bangladesh shared with false claim

The two minutes-long video is being shared on X with the caption, “Hindu temple status in Bangladesh yesterday.”

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FACT-CHECK: Structure in viral video attacked is a Sufi shrine

BOOM found that the viral video is from August 2024 when Sufi shrine of Ali Pagla in Kazipur, Sirajganj in Bangladesh, was attacked and vandalised.

Taking a hint from replies stating that the location in the viral video is not a temple but a Sufi shrine named Ali Pagla in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, we found several Bangladeshi news reports on the incident. The reports stated that Ali Pagla mazhar was vandalised on August 29, 2024.

We found a news report by Kalbela which had reported that the incident in the viral video is from August 31, 2024. The report also has a screengrab that matches the visuals in the video.

The report mentioned that in Kazipur, Sirajganj, Bangladesh, villagers had sacked the imam of a mosque in the area after the shrine was attacked allegedly by his men. The report states that several people in the area had claimed that Imam Golam Rabbani and his men had vandalised the shrine of Ali Pagla on August 29.

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 Local journalists confirm to BOOM Bangladesh the location of the video

BOOM Bangladesh reached out to Abdul Jaleel, a local journalist from Sirajganj, Kazipur, who confirmed that the viral video is from Ali Paglar Mazhar, Sirajganj. Daily Star correspondent Shahidul Islam Nirob, also confirmed to BOOM Bangladesh that the video is from Ali Paglar Mazhar and stated that it is not a Hindu temple as being falsely claimed. The visuals in the below news report on the shrine being vandalised also match the visuals viral video. From the 2.50 minutes timestamp we can see the shrine being attacked with the steel rods.

(This story was originally published by Boom, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)

Members of the minority Hindu community hold a protest against violence on minority community in the country, outside Jamuna State Guest House, where Bangladesh interim govt chief Muhammad Yunus is residing, in Dhaka.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Bangladesh’s newly-appointed Home Affairs Ministry adviser has vowed to take swift legal action against those who attack or abuse minorities, stressing that there is no place for violence, conflict, or hatred in the country.

Brigadier General (retd) M. Sakhawat Hussain’s assurance came during a meeting with a delegation from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangladesh at his office in the Secretariat on Thursday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

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Bangladesh saw a spike in violence against members of Hindu communities following the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.

Mr. Hussain emphasised that Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony, where people of all religions have grown up together without any divisions.

He said that no one would be spared if they attacked or abused minorities, and swift legal action would be taken.

He said that there is no place for violence, conflict, or hatred and that the country believes in peace.

During the meeting, Satyaranjan Baroi, president of ISKCON Bangladesh, requested the adviser to take priority measures for the safety of minorities and presented eight proposals for ensuring their safety, including enacting laws, establishing monitoring cells, forming a Minority Commission and providing continuous state security for temples.

The adviser assured his full support for these matters.

The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said that the minority community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 and termed it as an “assault on the Hindu religion.” Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus who is heading the interim government on Tuesday reached out to the distressed Hindu community and urged them to “exercise patience” and assured them that his government would punish those who attacked the minority members.

On Monday, Hossain’s ministry set up a hotline asking people to provide information about attacks on temples, churches or any other religious institutions.