Dhaka: Amid violent protests that led to the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a disturbing video has been doing rounds on social media wherein a dead body can be seen hanging. Sharing video on social media platforms, several netizens have claimed that an elderly Hindu man has been lynched and hanged on a statue in Bangladesh by protesters chanting religious slogans.
“Heartbreaking. An old Hindu man is lynched and hanged on a statue by terrorists of Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh. Islamists were seen raising Allah-Hu-Akbar slogans around himâ€æ #SaveBangladeshiHindus”, an X user shared.
However, Republic World’s fact check has confirmed that the individual seen in the video is Shahidul Islam Hiron, a 75-year-old Awami League leader from Jhenaidah, south-western Bangladesh. Hiron, a former general secretary of the Awami League, was brutally attacked and killed along with his driver, Akhtar Hossain.
On August 5, a mob reportedly vandalized Hiron’s residence. During the chaos, Hiron fired at the crowd, injuring several people. In retaliation, the mob set fire to his house, resulting in severe injuries to his driver, Akhtar, who later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Hiron, trapped on the third floor, perished in the fire. The mob then dragged his body from the house, displayed it in Paira Chattar at the city’s center, and later transported it to the local hospital morgue.
CLAIM: The dead body hanging on the statue in Bangladesh is of a Hindu Man.
FACT: The body seen in the video is of Shahidul Islam Hiron, a 75-year-old Awami League leader from Jhenaidah.
Bangladesh Unrest
What began as peaceful protests by students in Bangladesh against a quota system for government jobs eventually turned into an uprising that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country by helicopter. The end to Hasina’s 15 years in power came after weeks of violent unrest during which nearly 300 people died, according to local media reports.
The next day, a key student leader said that the movement wanted Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus to head the interim government. Nahid Islam said in a video posted on social media that student protest leaders had already talked with Yunus, who consented to take over considering the present situation of the country.
Fact Check: Video Misrepresented as Communal Incident Involving Awami League Leader in Bangladesh world-news World News | Latest International Global World News | Todays Breaking News Headlines
