Trace of Misinformation About Bangladesh in 72 Indian Media Outlets in 2024
148 misinformation about Bangladesh were propagated through various Indian media outlets and social media platforms
rumorscanner.com
Bangladesh experienced an eventful year. In 2024, alongside regular issues, the country witnessed its 12th parliamentary elections and, notably, the downfall of the Awami League government during the student and public uprising in July-August. Amid political upheavals, Bangladesh faced internal complexities as well as a surge of misinformation from Indian sources last year. An analysis of reports published on Rumor Scanner shows that at least 148 misinformation about Bangladesh were propagated through various Indian media outlets and social media platforms during this time. This equates to one piece of misinformation being circulated every two and a half days. Among these, 72 Indian media outlets published a total of 137 reports on 32 topics containing misinformation about Bangladesh, as verified by Rumor Scanner.
Over 100 Cases of Misinformation in August and December
For several years now, Indian social media accounts, pages, and mainstream media outlets have continuously propagated misinformation about Bangladesh. This trend was consistently observed in the first six months of 2024, as noted by Rumor Scanner. However, following the power transition in August, the spread of false information by Indian sources surged severalfold. While only 12 misinformation were spread in the first six months, 53 cases were recorded in August alone. Although this number decreased somewhat in the following months, December saw another spike, with 53 cases being linked to the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, the spokesperson for the Sanatani Jagaran Jot.
View attachment 108442
An analysis of reports published on Rumor Scanner in 2024 reveals that 102 of these cases were entirely false. Additionally, 42 were marked as misleading, while four were categorized as altered.
Severity on X, concerns also on Facebook
The most utilized platform for spreading misinformation about Bangladesh by Indian sources was the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter). Of the 148 cases of misinformation identified last year, Rumor Scanner found evidence of 115 being propagated through various X accounts.
Apart from X, more than 50 instances of misinformation were circulated via Facebook accounts and pages operated by Indian users. YouTube and Instagram also appeared on the list of platforms used to spread such misinformation. Furthermore, Indian media outlets disseminated misinformation in at least 32 incidents.
View attachment 108443
According to Rumor Scanner, misinformation about Bangladesh spread via Indian-operated social media accounts, including X, was viewed at least 250 million times last year.
Over a hundred Communal Misinformation
During the political transition in August, the rate of misinformation from Indian sources about Bangladesh saw a worrying increase. After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, various incidents of political attacks and looting occurred in the country over the following three days. These incidents included attacks on homes and establishments belonging to people of different religions. Amidst these events, a massive wave of communal misinformation was spread via Indian social media accounts and media outlets.
Among the 148 pieces of misinformation identified by Rumor Scanner last year, 115 were related to communal issues. Last year, X became a major platform for the spread of communal misinformation, with 51 instances of communal misinformation detected on the platform in August alone.
Between August 5 and 13, Rumor Scanner’s investigation unit identified 50 X accounts that spread communal narratives by sharing pictures, videos, and information about events in Bangladesh. Evidence of communal misinformation and falsehoods was found in at least one post from each of these accounts. Posts from these accounts during this period were viewed more than 15 million times. The misinformation was likely disseminated 10 to 12 times further through additional accounts and Indian media outlets, according to estimates by Rumor Scanner.
Even after August, these X accounts continued to spread misinformation about Bangladesh. In December, during the Chinmoy Krishna Das arrest, the dissemination of communal falsehoods on X surged again, with 41 cases recorded. Including these two months, Indian sources spread at least 107 instances of communal misinformation on X last year.
Indian media outlets also played a role in this campaign of communal misinformation. Evidence of communal misinformation involving Bangladesh was found in at least 10 incidents reported by Indian media. Outlets such as Asian News International (ANI), NDTV, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, Zee News, Aaj Tak, and Republic Bangla were among the mainstream media involved in spreading falsehoods.
View attachment 108444
Misinformation in 72 Indian Media Outlets
Rumor Scanner analyzed fact-checks related to misinformation about Bangladesh in Indian media in 2024 and found that 72 media outlets in the country spread misinformation in their reports on 32 incidents. Among these outlets, the number of false reports ranged from a maximum of 10 to a minimum of one. Evidence of false information was found in 137 reports from these 72 outlets.
India’s Bengali-language satellite television channel ‘Republic Bangla’ ranked first for spreading the highest number of falsehoods, with misinformation identified in 10 out of 32 incidents.
View attachment 108445
Following Republic Bangla, the next three positions were occupied by ‘Hindustan Times’, ‘Zee 24 Ghanta’, and ‘Aaj Tak’. In fifth place were ‘The Indian Express’, ‘Mint’, ‘India Today’, ‘TV9’, ‘WION’, and ‘Ei Samay’.
Turning Muslims into Hindus: A Common Misinformation Theme
Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, a coordinated disinformation campaign emerged from India. Spearheaded by Hindutva-oriented accounts on X, the campaign spread fake news and communal propaganda against Bangladesh. These accounts were complemented by other social media platforms and Indian mainstream media, amplifying the spread of misinformation.
Rumor Scanner observed distinct patterns in these campaigns, with the most common tactic being the misrepresentation of Muslim victims of violence as Hindus to propagate communal misinformation. In 2024, at least 36 such instances were identified by Rumor Scanner.
Moreover, incidents from other countries, and even events within India, were falsely portrayed as communal attacks in Bangladesh. Rumor Scanner reported on at least 13 such cases.
Additional misinformation included framing political violence as communal attacks, depicting attacks on Muslim establishments as attacks on Hindu establishments, misrepresenting unrelated arson incidents as attacks on Hindu properties, portraying the July-August uprising as a rise of jihadist or Islamic rule, and spreading fabricated claims of minority group rapes and murders.
False claims extended to various internal Bangladeshi issues, including the alleged ban on the ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan, misinformation about Dr. Yunus’s health, fake letters attributed to Sheikh Hasina, unverified claims about lifting bans on extremist organizations, and baseless reports of Pakistani forces patrolling in Bangladesh. During this time, Indian mainstream media actively contributed to the spread of such misinformation alongside social media platforms.
Individuals, Forces, and Parties Targeted
Last year, misinformation originating from India targeted various individuals and institutions in Bangladesh. Among individuals, Chinmoy Krishna Das was most frequently involved, with at least four instances of misinformation linked to him. Additionally, two pieces of misinformation were associated with Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Other individuals, such as actress Azmeri Haque Badhon and Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Atika Binte Hossain, were linked to one falsehood each.
Bangladesh’s forces were also targeted, with six instances involving the Bangladesh Army, two concerning the Bangladesh Police, and one about the Bangladesh Air Force. Two pieces of misinformation involved the interim government. Religious and political groups were not spared either. Four cases targeted the Bangladesh branch of ISKCON, two focused on Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and one involved the Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Occasional issue-based organized propaganda
Throughout the year, the internet buzzed with discussions on various issues in Bangladesh. Rumor Scanner identified misinformation campaigns surrounding at least 40 issues. Among these, accounts and media outlets from India were found spreading misinformation about eight key issues. The most intense misinformation campaign occurred in November following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, with at least five false claims originating from India.
Other significant misinformation campaigns included four incidents around October’s Durga Puja, three concerning violence in Hazari Gali, Chattogram in November, and one each related to the abduction of the MV Abdullah ship in March, floods in August, Bangladesh’s participation in the UN General Assembly in September, the US elections in November, and Shahid Noor Hossain Day in the same month.
Responsible Figures Also Involved
Several prominent individuals in India contributed to the spread of misinformation about Bangladesh last year. This list includes politicians such as BJP legislators Suvendu Adhikari (at least one instance) and Agnimitra Paul (at least three instances), and Tripura’s Minister of Transport, Sushanta Chowdhury (at least one instance), as identified by Rumor Scanner.
Additionally, exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, Indian Media Outlet ‘OpIndia’ editor Nupur Sharma, and other professionals, including lawyers, were implicated in propagating these false narratives.
