Fact Check: Video showing Rohingyas killed in Myanmar falsely linked to Bangladesh unrest

Hyderabad: Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, along with 13 other advisers, was sworn in on August 8, just four days after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangladesh amid widespread unrest over government job quota reforms. As part of the newly formed interim government, Yunus has assured prime minister Narendra Modi that the protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minority groups in Bangladesh would be a top priority.

However, the claims of attacks on Hindus continue to circulate on social media, fuelling concerns about the situation on the ground. A graphic video reportedly showing dead children in a house is being circulated with the claim that Hindu girls are being attacked and killed inside their homes.

An X user shared the video and wrote, “#SaveBangladeshiHindus.” (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim is false as the video is from the Rakhine region of Myanmar.

Upon conducting a reverse image search of the video’s keyframes, we found that the video was posted on LinkedIn by Maung Hla Myint, a Rohingya human rights activist, in June 2024. The post indicated that the incident occurred following a large-scale explosion in the Habi West Rohingya village, located in Maungdaw Township of Rakhine State. (Archive)

We also found an identical image from the viral video posted by Rohingya activist and journalist Nay San Lwin on June 9. Lwin, a co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, is a prominent advocate for the Rohingya people, raising awareness and seeking justice for their persecution. (Archive)

In the post, Lwin stated that during clashes between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, artillery shells struck the Habi West Rohingya hamlet in Thi Ho Kyun village, causing six deaths, including two children, and injuring seven others, four of whom were children.

NewsMeter contacted Lwin, who confirmed that the image he posted was a screenshot from the viral video. He stated, “The information accompanying the screenshot is accurate and authentic. I shared it after verifying the details with my colleagues on the ground.”