No, image doesn't show cricketer Liton Das' house being set ablaze in Bangladesh

What is the claim?

Multiple posts featuring photos and videos were shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, claiming that Bangladeshi cricketer Liton Das' house was set on fire following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister. These posts included captions like “Hindu cricketer Liton Das’s house has been set on fire. Brotherhood on top (translated from Hindi).” Archives of such posts can be accessed here, here, and here.

Sudarshan News, an Indian news organization known for publishing unverified news and misinformation, also shared this claim.

Multiple Facebook posts claiming that Liton Das’s house was set on fire. (Source: Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, we found that this claim is false; the house in question does not belong to Liton Das.

What is the truth?

Using a Google search, we located several video reports from news organizations, such as Prothom Alo and BanglaVision News, dated August 5, 2024, that depicted the same house on fire. These reports clarified that the house belonged to former cricketer and Awami League politician Mashrafe Mortaza, not Liton Das. Prothom Alo’s headline read, “Mashrafe's Narail house was attacked and vandalized.” At the time, the Awami League, led by former Prime Minister Hasina, was the ruling party in Bangladesh.

We verified the location of the house shown in the viral video by geolocating it using Google Street View images of Narail, Bangladesh. Key features, such as a triangular arch behind the gate and the house’s slanted roof, matched those in the viral visuals. 

Comparison of the viral visuals and Google Street View. (Source:X, Google Maps.)

Additionally, a portrait of Mortaza visible on Google Street View outside the house further confirms its ownership. Vloggers who previously visited Mortaza’s residence have also recorded this portrait, supporting our findings.

Mashrafe Mortaza’s portrait visible outside his house on Google Street View. (Source: Google Maps)

No credible reports have indicated that Liton Das’s house has been targeted.

The political crisis in Bangladesh

Hasina resigned as prime minister of Bangladesh and fled the country after months of student protests against a quota system that allocated 30 percent of government jobs to descendants of freedom fighters. The protests intensified, leading the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court order that had sparked opposition.

The unrest, exacerbated by police action against protesters, eventually became a broader challenge to Hasina's government and the ruling party. AFP reported that at least 300 people have died in the ensuing violence.

Following her resignation on August 5, Hasina landed in India and is currently at a secure location. Reports suggest she may travel to the U.K., where her sister, Sheikh Rehana, a British citizen, resides.

In Bangladesh, the Army announced the formation of an interim government with Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus as chief adviser. President Mohammed Shahabuddin has called for political parties to help restore order after a day of heightened tension. The curfew was lifted at 6 a.m. on August 6, allowing government offices and educational institutions to resume operations.

The verdict

The visuals in the viral video do not depict the burning of Bangladeshi cricketer Liton Das’s house. The house in question belongs to Awami League politician Mashrafe Mortaza.