Dr. Zahedur Arman :
A misinformation campaign about violence against Bangladeshi Hindus quickly spread following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh and her subsequent escape to India. This campaign ignited policy-level discussions among global leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who referenced it in their speeches and social media posts.
On Aug 5, a post from the X handle Hindu Voices, an account based in India featured a video alleging widespread mob lynching of Hindus across Bangladesh. The post went viral on multiple social media platforms, framing violence against Hindus as a national crisis. However, Rumor Scanner, an independent fact-checking organization in Bangladesh, later debunked the claim, confirming that the video had no connection to the purported violence against Hindus.
Rumor Scanner’s investigation uncovered 50 X accounts actively spreading communal narratives through images, videos, and inflammatory information. Between Aug. 5 and Aug. 13, these posts reached over 154 million views, with 72 per cent of the accounts disseminating this misinformation claiming to be based in India. Disturbingly, some of these accounts were operated by credible individuals and certain mainstream Indian media outlets contributed to the spread.
This misinformation campaign soon became a topic of formal political discourse. In a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden on Aug. 26, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the Bangladesh situation, stressing the importance of restoring order and ensuring the safety of Bangladeshi Hindus. Modi later reiterated this message in a post on X, emphasizing the necessity of stability in Bangladesh.
On Oct 31, US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump brought the issue back into the spotlight with a post on X. “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities being attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos,” he wrote, injecting the topic into the public sphere.
Trump went further, claiming, “It would have never happened on my watch. Kamala and Joe have ignored Hindus across the world and in America. They have been a disaster from Israel to Ukraine to our own Southern Border, but we will Make America Strong Again and bring back Peace through Strength!” He pledged to “protect Hindu Americans against the anti-religion agenda of the radical left,” promising that his administration would strengthen ties with India and “my good friend, Prime Minister Modi.”
Trump has shown limited regard for minority communities within the United States, including African Americans, Muslims, and other immigrant groups. His rhetoric often portrayed these communities as national threats, reflecting a general disregard for their issues. Given this stance, it is improbable that he would genuinely champion the concerns of minority groups in other nations, such as Bangladesh.
The timing of Trump’s tweet, coming just five days before Election Day, is especially notable. Nearly 3 million Hindus reside in the US and Trump’s alignment with Modi – both leaders known for their right-wing, nationalist agendas – are well-documented. His tweet could therefore be seen as a calculated appeal to Hindu voters in the US.
Another factor behind Trump’s emphasis on violence against Hindus could be lobbying influences. Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of the ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, recently enlisted Stryk Global Diplomacy (SGD), a well-known Washington, DC-based lobbying firm, to sway US policymakers. Led by Christian Bourge and Robert Stryk, both former advisers in Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, SGD has substantial connections within Trump’s political network. This context suggests Trump’s statement may be shaped by diplomatic and lobbying pressures.
The proliferation of misinformation has intensified communal tensions and has also become a powerful instrument in international politics, affecting electoral strategies and diplomatic relations among the US, India, and Bangladesh.
(The writer is Assistant Professor, Framingham State University, USA).