Since the fall of the Awami League, Indian media has portrayed Bangladesh as a nation plunged into chaos, highlighting alleged attacks on the Hindu minority in Bangladesh. The country, having more than 170 million people in about 8 percent of them Hindus, is facing a manipulated narrative from its neighbor’s media, which undermines its pursuit of a stable democracy after a prolonged period of authoritarianism. On that account, unpacking the layers of misinformation has become necessary to have a clear understanding of the current situation in Bangladesh.
Context of Political Unrest
The ouster of Sheikh Hasina was unprecedented, driven by widespread protests that eventually forced the prime minister to flee to India. Initially sparked by demands for job quota reforms, the demonstrations quickly broadened into a call to oust government corruption and authoritarianism. While the protests were going on, Indian media soon reported a surge in violence against the Hindu minority in Bangladesh. Many claim that these reports both exaggerated and serve a strategic agenda, diverting attention from political process.
Before the formation of the new transitional government in Bangladesh, many analysts accused New Delhi for backing the Awami League for last 15 years. India’s role and influence in Bangladesh have sparked grievances among the Bangladeshi public. It is remarkable whether India has ever “congratulated” the people of Bangladesh for overthrowing an unpopular government or if it has instead supported the suppression of the ousted premier. Some establishments in Indian media perceive the change in Bangladesh as if their significant loss of interests in the country.
The Indian Media Narrative: A Strategic Shift
“Targeting Bangladeshi Hindus was never the message nor the intent of the student movement”, noted Agontuk, a 21-year-old architecture student in Dhaka, “I was surprised because the people of our country, we live in harmony.”
India’s alleged claims of committing persecution against the minority Hindus in Bangladesh are very alarming, as they can instill fear and distrust among the diverse population in Bangladesh, which traditionally has a record of living in harmony for a long time. Hindus are the largest minority group in Muslim-majority Bangladesh and have been perceived as a vote bank of the Awami League.
In the immediate aftermath of the revolution, the country have witnessed mobs resorting to violence in what some have labeled “mob justice,” targeting the homes and business properties of ‘allegedly corrupt’ Awami leaders, including the statues and murals. In the meantime, Indian mainstream media as well as social media have portrayed these public grievances as attacks on Hindu minorities and temples, often using fabricated news and outdated images unrelated to the current situation.
Here, Indian media outlets have two objectives; to distract from the real issues and claim of an impending religious conflict, suggesting that Bangladesh is transitioning from a secular state to a fundamentalist one; and second, to ensure that Bangladesh’s interim government aligns with India’s interests. It is worth mentioning that India’s influence in Bangladesh has diminished drastically after the revolution.
Through anti-Muslim coverage, Indian media is busy to display everything spanning Chinese, Pakistani, and even “US deep state” intervention in the latest Bangladeshi student movement that overthrew authoritarianism. But when asked about claims of vandalizing on minority properties, Prominent Indian politician Shashi Tharoor stated, “I have also seen reports of Bengali Muslims protecting Hindu temples and protecting Hindu homes,” explaining, “we should be telling both sides of the story.” Often misleading, and determined by political agendas, unreal reporting harm the actual obstacles to reconstructing an already chaotic country.
Reality on the Ground
Reports from Bangladesh tell a different story. Although there were some reports of violence, many of these incidents were misrepresented or exaggerated by Indian media. The allegations of minority attacks are often based on isolated incidents, out of context, victimizing the successful youth-led “Gen-Z” movement. This led to arguments for all of completely inappropriate topics. Since Hasina’s removal, two Hindus have been killed – a police officer and an Awami League activist – and several Hindu households in the country have been attacked but these attacks are politically motivated, not communal at all and demands condemnation from all walk of life.
Advocate Govind Pramanik, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Jatio Hindu Mohajote (Bangladesh National Grand Alliance), stated that although the Hindu community feared mistreatment following Hasina’s fall, leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami assured them they would be well protected. He also confirmed that “no Hindu temples have been destroyed.”
Many Bangladeshi students and youth volunteers had maintained order to protect civil properties as well as minority rights including protecting Hindu temples from vandalizing, which is a sign of communal harmony of the people of Bangladesh. Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are flooded with photographs of students protecting temples across Bangladesh.
However, like the external propaganda campaign, certain Bangladeshi activities also hamper the image of communal and cultural harmony of the spirits of Bangladeshi youths.
Indeed, Bangladeshi people well protected their minorities but any alternative to that would only benefit the hardliners in India’s ruling party claiming vindication that the Muslims and Hindus cannot live together. Apart from this, Bangladesh has been setting examples of communal harmony for a long time.
The Bigger Picture: Geopolitical Ramifications
The portrayal of the circumstances in Bangladesh by Indian media is no mere concern for humanitarian purposes; it is sophisticatedly linked to its geopolitical ambitions. By tarnishing Bangladesh’s image, India aims to portray itself as the guardian of humanitarian causes in the subcontinent, as well as in international forums and media; it seeks to prove itself as the regional superpower. Meanwhile, the country itself has failed to protect its minority rights. Reports of violent mob lynching and systemic discrimination against the Muslim community in India frequently appear in social media platforms as well as in prominent news outlets, thus raising questions about the human rights violations there.
This has been a regular strategy for the country to intervene in the policies of other South Asian Nations, often neglecting human-to-human cultural, social and economic correspondence.
Bangladesh’s Response: A Constructive Narrative for Harmony
Bangladesh, surviving as an independent country must adapt to its mitigation strategy regarding the confrontational narratives frequently presented by the Indian media personalities, different YouTubers and other platforms from India. Bangladesh faces a complex situation in addressing these issues, which come with both opportunities and risks. While it is essential to emphasize peaceful coexistence and harmony in people-to-people engagements, fostering coordination and unity among its own citizens is equally important. A sense of justice and accountability should be cultivated within the public mindset. The last implication Bangladesh should hold as to take the pathways to championing of protecting human rights and minority rights in this region. Nearly, after the fall of an authoritarian regime, it has become an opportunistic moment to do so.
Md. Abu Saim, Former Student of International Relations at Dhaka University. Md. Abu Saim also completed his MSS in International Political Economy and at present, he is a development worker in migration sector, working with WARBE Development Foundation.
