Video Does Not Show Hindu Woman Raped And Tortured In Bangladesh
CLAIM: Video shows a Hindu woman who was raped and tortured in Araihazar village of Narayanganj in Bangladesh.
FACT CHECK: A local journalist confirmed to BOOM Bangladesh that the woman in the video is Lovely Begum, a Muslim, who was chased by a mob on suspicions of being a robber in Bangladesh's Narayanganj area.
A video of a distressed woman surrounded by a mob in Bangladesh has surfaced with a false communal claim that a Hindu was raped and tortured in Bangladesh's Narayanganj area.
BOOM found no communal angle to the incident. It shows a Muslim woman crawling out of a canal after being chased by a mob in Bangladesh's Narayanganj area over suspicions of an alleged robbery.
The disturbing visuals show a woman crawling out of a bush in wet clothes, looking incoherent and weak. The footage also shows someone from the crowd shining a torchlight on her, while another person assuring her that they will not beat her.
An X user posted the video with the caption, "A Hindu woman was raped and tortured in Araihazar village of Narayanganj. This is how the extremists made fun of her, no one came forward to help her!"
Note: The video is distressing in nature.
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
Fact Check
BOOM ran a keyword search about the assault on a woman in Bangladesh's Narayanganj area and found several news articles by Bangladeshi outlets featuring similar visuals. The news reports state that the woman was chased by a mob on suspicions of a robbery, and she jumped into a canal to escape.
According to a report published by Bangladesh-based Somoy News on December 27, 2024, police stated that on the night of December 26, a group of seven to eight robbers was preparing to intercept a car on Ilumdi Road in Kahindi village. Realising what was happening, the villagers chased them. While most of the robbers managed to escape, one, Billal, and his associate, Lovely, were caught by the mob. Billal died on the spot after being beaten by the angry crowd, while Lovely jumped into a canal to escape.
The report further mentioned that upon receiving information, police arrived to recover the body and rescue an injured Lovely.
BOOM Bangladesh then reached out to Mohammed Nazrul Islam, news editor of a local portal Araihazar Times, for further verification regarding the viral claim. Islam refuted the communal claim, stating that the woman is a Muslim and was beaten over her alleged involvement in a robbery.
Islam told BOOM Bangladesh, "The name of the woman is Lovely Begum and she is a Muslim. She is a resident of Narayanganj's Araihazar upazila, and her father's name is Mohammed Idris Ali. Begum now lives in the house of her maternal grandmother. She is a drug addict and has been involved in various drug-related incidents and other misdemeanors. We are however not sure about her involvement in robbery."
Islam and his team had also recorded a reaction from Lovely while she was in the hospital. In the video shared by Araihazar Times' Facebook page, she can be heard saying that she was attacked by robbers while traveling in an autorickshaw and became their hostage. She also claimed that the auto driver fled and informed the local residents, after which the robbers were beaten, and Lovely was beaten as a suspect.
The video byte was uploaded to the Facebook page of Araihazar Times on December 27, 2024.
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
(This story was originally published by boom, and republished by english.varthabharati.in as part of the Shakti Collective)
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
