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How European Media Is Downplaying Attacks Against Hindus In Bangladesh

August 21, 2024
The Commune

European media outlets are actively crafting the narrative that the violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh is not communal but politically motivated.

Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as the last prime minister of Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, there has been widespread violence against Hindus, Buddhists and Christians, with reports of attacks on their homes, businesses, and temples. Local organisations, such as the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, have documented these incidents, which have sparked global outrage among Hindu communities.

According to their narrative, the violence is linked to the victims’ political affiliations with Hasina’s government. Prominent broadcasters such as the BBC (British), DW News (German), and, more recently, France 24 (French) promote this perspective. All these European media outlets seem to advocate for forming a new government in Bangladesh, suggesting a subtle dissatisfaction with the previous administration.

Since 5 August 2024, Bangladesh has witnessed widespread violence against minorities, particularly Hindus. Reports emerged of vandalism targeting Hindu homes, businesses, and places of worship such as temples. Social media has been abuzz with distressing accounts from Hindus who have relatives and friends in India, sharing their experiences of threats, assaults, and other forms of violence. These stories have sparked global outrage among Hindu communities, reflecting a deep-seated resentment dating back to 1971 and earlier.

Local organisations dedicated to minority welfare have verified and reported these incidents on social media. For instance, the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council released a report detailing a series of attacks on Hindu temples, homes, and businesses amid the unrest since Hasina left. According to the Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus on the social media platform X, these assaults occurred within five hours, though the actual number of incidents may be higher than reported.

How European Media Is Downplaying Attack On Hindus In Bangladesh

European media such as the BBC, DW, and France 24 seem to be following the leftist/anti-Hindu playbook, which toes the Western viewpoint on Bangladesh and Hindus in general.

BBC

BBC, Britain’s state-owned broadcaster, has been attempting to diminish the torment faced by Bangladeshi Hindus at the hands of Islamists through selective fact-checking while blaming the ‘far-right’ in India for the violence.

In its article titled “Far-right spreads false claims about Muslim attacks in Bangladesh”, the BBC said that the far-right influencers in India shared “false videos and information” that gave a “misleading view of the events”.

The BBC asserted that many of the claims circulating online were false. It claimed that the ruling Awami League party, which includes both Hindu and Muslim members, was a primary target. This portrayal subtly justified the violence as a consequence of political tensions rather than religious animosity.

By presenting the situation in this way, the BBC effectively set the stage for dismissing concerns raised globally about the Hindu community’s plight in Bangladesh.

Deutsche Welle (DW)

Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s state-owned broadcaster, has been criticised for downplaying the religious violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, particularly during recent anti-government protests. In a video published on 19 August 2024, DW acknowledged attacks on the Hindu minority but suggested that many of the claims shared on social media were false. The video also portrayed the motives behind these attacks as politically driven rather than religiously motivated, stating that the violent acts were linked to the opposition against the Awami League, which is seen as a protector of minority communities like Hindus.

DW further attempted to shift focus by discussing a case where an arson attack on a Muslim shrine was misrepresented as an attack on a Hindu temple online. The broadcaster brought in ‘experts’ like Thomas Kean to argue that the reasons behind the violence are unclear, implying that religious motivations were not the primary factor despite clear evidence to the contrary.

Moreover, DW suggested that disinformation spread by Indians on social media is exacerbating tensions, linking the issue to the close political ties between India and Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina government. This narrative appears to deflect responsibility from the actual perpetrators of the violence, instead framing the discourse as being manipulated by external actors with political interests.

DW’s reporting perceivably glosses over the serious issue of religious persecution in Bangladesh, particularly against Hindus, and downplays the Islamist motives behind many of these attacks.

DW even blamed India. They said, “And Indian Prime Minister Modi and Hasina have close political ties. India views events in Bangladesh as a problem for security, trade, and influence. So, different groups in India might have their own interests in sharing such content.”

France 24

Following the trend, France 24, a public-funded international news network, joined the bandwagon. On 16 August 2024, they shared a video on their Facebook page with the caption, “Ever since students toppled #Bangladesh’s government on August 5, many Indian internet users have been claiming that the #Hindu minority is in danger. Rape, violence or attacks on temples… these images have gone #viral. But they have been taken out of context. According to regional experts, Hindus are not specifically attacked because of their #religion, but rather because of their #political affiliation.  The Observers – France 24 looked into the misleading claims.”

This is quite similar to what DW did with its report and “fact-checking” with alleged experts.

However, it is surprising that this report has yet to be posted on YouTube or their website, but only on Facebook.

AltNews As “Fact-Checkers”

In the video, they discuss these “claims” of violence against Hindus with (well, no surprises for guessing) alleged fact checkers – AltNews. While some of the videos that were in circulation at the time of the attacks were from a different time period and did not necessarily involve Hindus, it does not make the fact that Hindus and Hindu temples in Bangladesh were subjected to attacks.

The video goes on to say that the videos and photos shared by the ‘Hindu nationalists’ in India “were a part of a huge disinformation campaign”.  The video also claimed that “Hindus in Bangladesh were not attacked because of their religion.”

They got ‘expert opinion’ from a Bangladeshi journalist named Zillur Rahman, who called the attacks ‘politically motivated’.

Zillur Rahman allegedly received US funds to fight disinformation – he allegedly spread disinformation, which was reportedly his political views.

France 24’s video also received ‘expert opinion’ from alleged fact-checker Abhishek Kumar from Alt News, who told them that Hindu nationalists aim to “defame Muslim community by portraying Hindus as victims.”

He adds this aim would “damage the image of Muslims in India and normalise persecution they suffer in India.”

France 24 also stated that Bangladeshi students were conducting night patrols to prevent these attacks on Hindus.

Misleading Narrative

European media outlets seem intent on shaping a narrative to convince audiences to look favourably upon the new government in Dhaka led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. This suppression of information might be a strategic move, as it could later benefit these media and their preferred government through political and economic advantages, including trade, in support of their cause.

Several regional reports confirm that minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus, have been subjected to attacks and vandalism. Western media cannot dismiss or minimise these events as fabrications by selectively presenting only specific information. The ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Bangladesh is thoroughly documented. France, dealing with its issues of “wokeism” related to events like the Paris Olympics, should focus on accurate reporting rather than spreading misinformation.

Hindus In Bangladesh

According to Bangladesh’s 2022 census, Hindus make up approximately 7.96% of the population, with other minorities (Buddhists, Christians, etc.) constituting less than 1%. Muslims account for 91.08% of the 165.16 million people in Bangladesh. In a democratic context, winning elections requires substantial support from the majority Muslim population, who previously supported Sheikh Hasina.

However, since Hasina left, mobs targeted only Hindu temples and minority sites. There are no reports of attacks on mosques or Muslim sites. It is disgraceful of European media to label this violence as purely political when it bears a communal aspect.

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