Fact Check: Viral claims about Hindu principal being garlanded with shoes in Bangladesh are misleading
The principal resigned because of corruption allegations, not for any communal reasons.
By Sibahathulla Sakib Published on 24 Aug 2024 3:57 PM GMT
Claim: The video shows the Principal of Ragnur School in Bangladesh being garlanded with shoes because she is Hindu.
Fact: The claim is misleading. The principal shown in the video is Manjuara Parveen, a Muslim, not Hindu. She was the Principal of Rangpur Collectorate School and College.
Hyderabad: Amid the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, a video claiming that a Hindu principal of Ragnur School was harassed and garlanded with shoes is viral on social media.
An X user shared a video captioned: "Rangpur school principal was made to wear a garland of shoes around her neck... because she belongs to the Hindu community. Have some Shame. This is the new East Pakistan #ą¤¬ą¤¾ą¤ą¤ą„ą¤²ą¤¾ą¤¦ą„ą¤¶.ā (Archive)
Similar posts can be seen here and here.
Fact Check:
NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading.
A keyword search led to the official website of Rangpur Collectorate School and College, which identifies the principal as Manjuara Parveen.
Further, we found her Facebook profile. A photo of her during Hajj in 2022 proves that she is a Muslim.
Further keyword search led us to a report from Danik Siksha dated August 21, 2024, titled ā Principal of Rangpur Collectorate School and College resignedā
According to this report, the resignation of Principal Manjuara Parveen was forced by student protests. The students accused her of corruption and irregularities, which led to her stepping down.
We were able to find a report titled āThe Principal of Rangpur Collectorate School and College resigned in the face of student fireā published on 21 August 2024 by āAmarsangbadā
The report states that the current and former students of Rangpur Collectorate School and College were protesting for 12-point demands, including the resignation of Principal Manjura Parveen.
Nazim, a former student of that institution, said that she has looted crores of rupees through various irregularities, corruption, and arbitrariness for 12 years.
A reverse image search led us to a YouTube video posted on Channel News Door on 21 August 2024 with the title, āResignation of Rangpur Collectorate School and College Principal in the face of student fireā
This video provided the details of the protest which clearly states that the corruption and related irregularities are the reason for the resignation.
We also made a comparison of viral videos. Here is the comparison image.
Hence the claim that a Hindu principal was garlanded with shoes is misleading. The incident involved a Muslim principal, and the reasons for her resignation were related to allegations of corruption, not her religious identity.
