Muslim man’s brutal murder falsified as Hindu man killing

Fact-checking body Rumor Scanner in an investigation found that a video of brutal murder of Muslim man is being circulated claiming a murder of a Hindu man.

In a report published on its website today (15 January), the fact-checking watchdog said recently, a video has been circulated on social media X (formerly Twitter) claiming a Hindu man in Bangladesh is being hung upside down from a tree and beaten to death in a medieval style.

A team found that the brutally murdered man in the viral video is not a Hindu but a Muslim. His name is Rabiul Limon.

On 5 August last year, he was caught and beaten to death by a mob in the House Building area of Uttara, suspected of being a Chhatra League member.

Reviewing the video discussed at the beginning of the investigation, Rumor Scanner at the beginning of the video saw a gate with the title 'Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation Staff Quarters, Uttara, Dhaka' written on it. A nameplate with the word 'Staff Quarters' can also be seen next to the gate.

Later, based on the information, with the help of Google Maps Street View, it was learned that the discussed incident site is located next to the gate of the House Building Finance Corporation staff quarters in Uttara.

With the help of Street View, the discussed tree at the scene can also be identified.

Later, based on the information, a clear version of the discussed video circulated on 6 January on a Facebook ID named Bangabandhu Adarsher Pratik was found through keyword search.

Two videos of the discussed incident captured from different angles were found through reverse image search using different key frames of the said video. In both videos, the deceased person is claimed to be a Chhatra League worker.

In addition, a person in one of the videos can also be seen in the video circulated with the discussed claim.

Later, based on the information, a keyword search was conducted on the website of the daily Ajker Kagoj on 5 August 2024, and a report titled "Body of a young man hanged from a tree after being shot dead" was found.

The report revealed that on the day of its publication, 5 August, an unidentified young man was beaten to death on charges of shooting and his body was hung from a tree in front of the staff quarters of Sector 8, Uttara.

It is also known that the protesters alleged that the young man was a member of the Chhatra League. He opened fire indiscriminately with a pistol in the House Building area. A child was injured in the shots he fired.

They further said, "After the shooting ended, other people including students caught him while he was running away and he was beaten up indiscriminately by the mob." Then, when he died, a rope was tied to his feet and hung upside down.'

Based on the information received, another video was found through keyword search from a Facebook ID named Sohan Mahmud Joy, which was circulated on 5 August 2024, under the title "Chhatra League killed and hanged from a tree in Dhaka Uttara BNS."

After reviewing the video, it was seen that an agitated crowd had caught a person. Many were heard claiming that the person had a pistol. In addition, a comparative analysis of the face of the person in question with the face of the deceased in the video was done. Both people have mustache on their faces.

In addition, another video of the discussed murder incident circulated on the same day was also found by reviewing the said Facebook ID.

Later, through various relevant keyword searches, a post was found from a Facebook ID named Borkot Molla, which was circulated on 7 August, 2024.

The post reveals that a cousin of the poster named Rabiul Limon participated in the victory procession held in Uttara in the capital on 5 August last year following the fleeing of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

When a chase occurred during the procession, the crowd present beaten him to death by hanging him upside down from a tree in the House Building area of Uttara, suspecting him of being a Chhatra League activist and a police officer involved in the Abu Sayeed murder.

The Facebook ID of the deceased Rabiul Limon was also found in the post. Later, a comparison of the deceased's photo with the photo of Rabiul Limon attached to the post and the photo obtained from his Facebook profile was found.

Therefore, the video of Muslim person named Rabiul Limon being hung from a tree and beaten to death has been circulated in Bangladesh claiming that it is a video of the murder of a Hindu man; which is misleading.