Misinformation by NDTV, Kannada Prabha, Udayavani: Trader killed in Bangladesh was Muslim, not Hindu
Fact check
New Delhi/Dhaka: A recent case of mob lynching in Bangladesh has ignited a wave of misinformation in Indian media, with several major outlets, including NDTV, India Today, Wion, News 24 Digital, Kannada Prabha, and Udayavani, incorrectly reporting that the victim was a Hindu trader. This has now been fact-checked and refuted by independent journalist and Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, who clarified that the lynched trader was in fact a Muslim man named Mohammed Sohag, alias Lal Chand Mia.
The misinformation
On July 9, a gruesome video surfaced from Dhaka, Bangladesh, showing a man being lynched in broad daylight near Mitford Hospital. Reports confirmed that the attackers bludgeoned the victim with concrete slabs and later danced on his dead body, an act that has sparked mass outrage in Bangladesh.
However, multiple prominent Indian media houses misreported the victim's identity, labeling him a Hindu trader and framing the killing as a case of religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus in Bangladesh.
NDTV, in its syndicated content, stated: “Trader Lynched In Bangladesh, Attackers Dance On His Body. Police have arrested 7 people in connection with the case… following the gruesome murder of Lal Chand alias Sohag…”
Kannada Prabha (Front Page Headline): “ಬಾಂಗ್ಲಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿಂದೂ ಹತ್ಯೆಗೈದು ಶವದ ಮೇಲೆ ಕುಣಿದು ವಿಕೃತಿ – ಹಿಂದೂಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಲ್ಲುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ ಮತಾಂಧರ ದೌರ್ಜನ್ಯ” (Translation: Hindu killed in Bangladesh, attackers dance on corpse – Communal atrocities on Hindus continue)
Udayavani also reported: “ಬಾಂಗ್ಲಾದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿಂದೂ ವ್ಯಾಪಾರಿಯ ಥಳಿಸಿ ಹತ್ಯೆ!” (Translation: Hindu trader beaten to death in Bangladesh!)
These narratives were shared widely on social media, with several hashtags trending among right-wing handles.
The truth: Victim was a Muslim trader
Fact-checker Mohammed Zubair took to X (formerly Twitter) to set the record straight: “Hello @ndtv, The name of the trader lynched in Bangladesh is Mohammed Sohag alias Lal Chand Mia. Not a Hindu as you claim.” He also shared a screenshot from News24 Live, a Bangladeshi media outlet, which clearly stated the deceased businessman's name as Chand Mia alias Sohag.
The FIR in the case was lodged by Manzura Begum, the sister of the deceased, and it names 19 accused. Police have so far arrested seven individuals, and at least two illegal firearms have been recovered during raids.
Bangladeshi authorities and local reports suggest that the lynching was not religiously motivated but stemmed from a business-related feud, possibly with political undertones given the charged pre-election environment in the country.
This episode is yet another chapter in a dangerous trend in Indian media where unverified communal angles are inserted into criminal or political incidents in neighboring countries, particularly Bangladesh and Pakistan, to feed a certain narrative.
The false reports by NDTV, Kannada Prabha, and Udayavani all of which failed to verify the victim’s religious identity, raise concerns about editorial standards and sensationalism in mainstream Indian newsrooms.
While NDTV attributed its article to a syndicated news feed, this does not absolve it of editorial responsibility. Kannada Prabha went a step further by explicitly accusing “religious fanatics” and linking the act to anti-Hindu hate crimes, without factual basis. Udayavani followed suit with similar communal framing.
The man lynched in Bangladesh was Mohammed Sohag, a Muslim trader, not a Hindu, as falsely claimed by several Indian media outlets. The motive behind his murder appears to be business and political rivalry, not a communal attack.
Hello @ndtv, The name of the trader lynched in Bangladesh is Mohammed Sohag alias Lal Chand Mia. Not a Hindu as you claim. https://t.co/rDN78rgpLR pic.twitter.com/NvbGZhRUti
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) July 13, 2025
Hello @news24tvchannel, The name of the trader lynched in Bangladesh is Mohammed Sohag alias Lal Chand Mia. Not a Hindu as you claimed. pic.twitter.com/Gt6uvQBwT6
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) July 14, 2025
Nepal Correspondence, a pro-Awami League and pro-Indian propaganda account, falsely portrayed the Muslim murder victim and scrap trader Lal Chand Mia alias Sohag as Hindu.
— Shohanur Rahman (@Sohan_RSB) July 13, 2025
Later, Indian media repeated the same false claim. Absolutely pathetic reporting. pic.twitter.com/KlN9Nw16qZ
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Teen killed after being hit by private bus in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): A 16-year-old boy was killed after he was allegedly hit and run over by a private bus while crossing a road here on Friday, police said.
The deceased was identified as Varun, they said.
According to police, the accident occurred around 11:30 am on the Hennur–Bagalur main road.
The boy who crossing the road on foot when he was allegedly struck by the bus and came under its rear wheel, leading to his death on the spot.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
Following the incident, family members and locals staged a protest by blocking the Hennur–Bagalur road, resulting in heavy traffic congestion in the area.
The driver of the bus has been detained, and further legal action is being initiated, a senior police officer said, adding that an investigation is underway.
