Video of Muslim shrine on fire shared as 'Hindu temple set ablaze' in Bangladesh

What’s the claim?

A widely circulated video on social media shows a white building being set ablaze by a group of people, with claims that it depicts 'Muslims torching a Hindu temple' in Bangladesh.

On X (formerly Twitter), the video was shared with the caption, “Islamists set a Hindu temple on fire in Thakurgaon district, Bangladesh.” The post had amassed over 100,000 views and more than 6,000 reposts at the time of writing. Archived versions of the posts are available here and here.

Screenshot of claims made online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

Contrary to the claims, however, the video actually depicts a Muslim shrine burning, not a Hindu temple.

What we found

A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to a Facebook post (archived here) dated August 7, 2024. This post identified the structure being set on fire as the Gharib Shah (Rah) holy shrine.

Further investigation using Google search revealed a YouTube video (archived here) posted on August 8, 2024, showing the aftermath of the incident at the shrine in daylight. The video, titled “Hazrat Garib Shah Mazar,” includes a translated audio clip of a man describing the attack. He recounted, “After cleaning the Mazar, I locked it, and about 150 members of Jamat-e-Islam attacked us. I pleaded with them not to destroy the Mazar, but they continued breaking it.” This attack occurred amid ongoing violence in Bangladesh.

Comparison showing the viral clip and the daylight visuals of the shrine. (Source: X/YouTube)

Both the viral clip and the daylight footage display text on the structure that translates to “Hazrat Garib Shah Raha: Mazar Sharif.” Using Google Maps, we geolocated the structure to Jessore District in Khulna Division, Bangladesh. A Street View image from February 2023 confirms the original shrine’s location.

Screenshot of the street view of the shrine and its location. (Source: X/Google Maps)

This evidence confirms that the structure is a Muslim shrine, not a Hindu temple.

The ongoing unrest in Bangladesh:

• As of August 12, 2024, over 560 have died in Bangladesh amid ongoing violent protests.
  

• On August 8, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed leadership of the interim government following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as prime minister on August 5.
  

• The ongoing unrest in Bangladesh stems from the quota reform movement, which began in June 2024, with protesters demanding nationwide civil disobedience and the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina and her cabinet.

• There have been attacks against Hindus and other minority groups, prompting the interim government to pledge action. According to an Indian Express report, around 200 incidents targeting the Hindu community have occurred across 52 districts.

The verdict

The viral video does not depict a Hindu temple being set on fire in Bangladesh amid the unrest. The footage actually shows a Muslim shrine (Mazar Sharif) burning in Jessore District, Bangladesh.