During the recent violence in Khagrachari and Rangamati, not only were there violent clashes, but misinformation spread rapidly. According to reports from the fact-checking organization Dismislab, some social media pages and channels exaggerated the death toll, falsely claiming over 100 people were killed. However, the actual number of deaths during the events on September 18 and 19 was five, including a Bengali youth.
The violence began when a young man named Md. Mamun was beaten to death on September 18 over allegations of motorcycle theft in Dighinala, Khagrachari. The next day, clashes broke out between Bengalis and indigenous people, resulting in more deaths. However, some Facebook pages and YouTube channels spread false information, claiming much higher casualties.
One such page, “Jumma,” claimed that 32 people had been killed just two and a half hours after the violence began. Another foreign-based page, “RC’s World,” falsely stated that 35 indigenous people had died in attacks by the Bangladeshi army. These posts included misleading images and videos, though none showed actual bodies.
Dismislab’s investigation revealed that the Jumma page was created just one day before the violence, on September 18, and used a logo from an Indian news site. They also pointed out that this misinformation heightened tensions in the region.
Rangamati’s Additional Police Superintendent, Shahnewaz Raju, confirmed that these death figures were completely baseless and fueled unnecessary unrest.
Some Indian media outlets also picked up these exaggerated claims, contributing to the spread of false information. During protests in Tripura, India, these inflated numbers were used to demand action, with claims that 9 people from indigenous communities were killed in Khagrachari.
Former National Human Rights Commission member Nirupa Dewan commented on the issue, stating that rumors weren’t the only cause of the violence, but the long-standing culture of impunity also played a significant role.
Credit: Sadia Mahzabin Imam | Prothom Alo
