• A viral video falsely claimed by Hindutva groups to show “Sunni Bangladeshis” vandalising Hindu temples was actually a Muslim shrine in Bangladesh.
• The shrine, dedicated to Baba Ali Pagla, was attacked on August 29 by locals claiming it was promoting shirk (idolatry), as confirmed by its caretaker and local media.
Social media users aligned with the Hindutva faction in India have been erroneously circulated a video claiming to show a group of “Sunni Bangladeshis” vandalising “Hindu temples.” However, the building depicted in the video is, in fact, a Muslim shrine, as confirmed by the person overseeing the site, who stated that the attackers had said that the site was promoting shirk (anti-Islamic activities).
“1000s of Sunni Bangladeshis breaking Hindu Temples. While Hindus lining up at Decathlon, Zara, etc. to buy Made in Bangladesh items,” read an English-language post on X shared on December 2, 2024. The video accompanying the post shows a group of men with sticks and bricks attempting to dismantle a structure.
The false claims are being propagated by several Hindutva groups. A similar video was shared on Facebook on August 30, 2024, with a Bangla-language caption that referred to the shrine as “demolished” in the aftermath of the attack by local Muslims.
Local media outlet Bdnews24 reported on August 31 that the shrine, dedicated to Baba Ali Pagla, was attacked after accusations that “anti-Islamic” activities had been taking place there. According to the report, the attack was led by a local Muslim cleric, who was subsequently dismissed by villagers.
Eman Ali, the son of Ali Pagla, who maintains the shrine, confirmed on December 9 that the structure in the video was a Muslim shrine, not a Hindu temple. He explained that the attack, which took place on August 29, was perpetrated by Muslims from a nearby mosque, who claim that the shrine was promoting idolatry, or shirk.
