Unrelated video shared as ‘Hindu teacher forced to resign’ in Bangladesh

What’s the claim?

Several viral posts on X (formerly Twitter) claim that a Hindu teacher in Bangladesh was insulted and forced to resign by his students. Some posts identify the man as a Hindu government employee. The accompanying short clip shows a man surrounded by student protesters, who yell at him and attach cigarette boxes to his collar. 

The rest of the video features a man speaking to the camera about the incident. Archive links for these posts can be found here, here, and here. 

Screenshots of posts carrying the claim that the video shows a Hindu teacher was forced to resign by his students in Bangladesh. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, our investigation reveals that the man is neither a Hindu nor a teacher. He is Taufiq Islam, a municipal engineer who was forced to resign by student protesters in Bangladesh following the resignation and departure of Sheikh Hasina.

What did we find?

A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral videos led us to a news report by Bdnews24. The report indicates that the incident occurred on August 19, 2024, in Chapainawabganj municipality. According to the report, the man in the video is Taufiq Islam, the municipality’s executive engineer, who was pressured to resign by student protesters advocating against discrimination. Two other government employees also resigned that day.

The report explains that the protesters were looking for the mayor, a member of the Hasina-led Awami League, whom they accused of “oppressing” them during the protests.

The viral video shows protesters confronting Islam about smoking cigarettes and demanding his resignation, as the student movement aims to create a “drug-free Bangladesh.” Ismail Hossain Sirazi, a coordinator of the protest movement, confirmed that the protesters discovered two boxes of cigarettes in Islam’s office drawer and attempted to force his resignation. Islam fell ill and lost consciousness, requiring medical attention and hospitalization.

Other news and video reports from Bangladesh corroborate this account. The video also includes the same visuals seen in the viral claim but filmed from a different angle between 1:00 and 1:22 minutes.

A comparison of the viral video in the claim with a news report on Taufiq Islam’s resignation shows that the visuals in the claims are from the same incident. (Source: X/Swadesh Pratidin/Modified by Logically Facts)

A list of Chapainawabganj municipal officials available online confirms that Taufiq Islam is the executive engineer for the municipality.

What is happening in Bangladesh?

Following widespread protests that led to the resignation and exile of ex-Prime Minister Hasina, an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been established in Bangladesh. The new government has pledged to address attacks on minorities and to ensure free and fair elections.

The verdict

Our investigation shows that the man in the video is not a Hindu teacher but Taufiq Islam, a municipal employee in Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.