On December 5, 2024, Nasim Miya, a farmer living in Kushtia of Bangladesh, alleged that someone has deliberately set fire to the rice crops he harvested. The fire burnt the crop in a pile on about one and half bighas of land. Nasim Miya came to know about it early in the morning and added that petrol was used to create an accelerant. In this case, the unidentified person or persons have done it and authorities are investigating the incident.
SOSial media claims
The Video of Nasim Miya was seen weeping over destroyed crops as Bangladesi Islamist burnt crop of Hindu Farmer, who are growing under his communal attacks. Those posts were really spread around on X along with some other social networks; thus viewers were misled because those people considered this incident being of religion background.Investigation and Facts
We found the following from the fact-checking efforts.Identity of the Farmer:
The man in the video is Nasim Miya, a Muslim farmer, not a Hindu. This fact debunks the communal angle being propagated online.
Motivation Behind the Incident:
No evidence has been found to suggest the act was related to communal tensions. It appears to be an isolated criminal act, possibly driven by personal motives.
Source Authentication:
There has been news verification through several Bangladeshi news channels: Channel 24 and Desh TV, with one video capturing the farmer with a grateful heart, “thanking Allah” for it all, though he had a loss.|Bigger Picture
Escalating Tensions Bangladesh
Bangladesh has recently seen a spate of communal violence, which is directed more at minorities, like Hindus. According to reports, since Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024, 88 incidents of communal violence have been reported. Arrests have been made in connection with these incidents, but there is no direct link between this broader unrest and the burning of Nasim Miya’s crops.Government Response
Authorities in Kushtia have promised to investigate and take appropriate legal action. Meanwhile, local officials, including the Kushtia Model Thana officer-in-charge, have urged the public to refrain from spreading false narratives that could exacerbate communal tensions.
The burning of Nasim Miya’s crops is a tragic but isolated incident. Misrepresentation of this event as a communal attack serves to inflame tensions and spread misinformation. It is essential to verify facts before accepting and sharing such claims, especially in politically sensitive contexts.
