Video of students offering prayers in Bangladesh shared with false claim Hindus are being coerced into converting

What is the claim? 

A video of people offering namaz (a form of worship in Islam) on the road while surrounded by a group of stick-wielding people has been shared on social media to claim that Hindus in Bangladesh are being held hostage and coerced into converting.

A user on X (formerly Twitter) shared the video (archived here) with a Hindi caption, "Jihadis holding Hindus hostage in Bangladesh and forcing them to convert to Islam." The overlaid text matched the caption. Similarly, a Facebook user shared the video (archived here) saying, "Jihadists in Bangladesh rape sisters and daughters, hold them hostage, and force men to convert to Islam!" View similar claims archived here and here, as well as on YouTube here. 

Screenshots of the viral video on social media. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

There have been months of unrest and violence in Bangladesh over anti-reservation student protests, which evolved into anti-government demonstrations and the subsequent resignation of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister.

Media reports have reported on the many attacks faced by many Hindus at their homes and businesses in Bangladesh after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5. Amid this, visuals have gone viral on social media, claiming to show violence against Bangladeshi Hindus. 

However, this video is being shared with a false claim. The video does not show Hindus coerced into converting to Islam but shows students offering Zohar prayer in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during anti-reservation protests on July 16, 2024. 

What we found 

A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to a video uploaded to Bangladeshi news outlet Somoy TV Bulletin's YouTube channel (archived here) on July 16, 2024. The video's caption states that the protesting students were offering their Zohar prayers (one of the five daily prayers offered by Muslims) in Basundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Screenshot of video from Somoy TV bulletin. (Source: Somoy TV Bulletin)

A Google search using this information led us to similar videos on Facebook (archived here) and YouTube (archived here), which state that the videos show students offering Zohar prayers during the student protests. This confirms that the viral video has been online since before Hasina resigned as Prime Minister and left Bangladesh on August 5.

A report by Somoy News published on July 16, 2024, states that students of many private universities demonstrated by blocking the road in front of Basundhara Gate in Dhaka. During this hour-long demonstration, students offered prayers when it was time for Zohar namaz. The remaining students continued sloganeering and protesting. The report also contains images from the protest that match the visuals from the viral video.

Screenshot of the Somoy News report. (Source: Somoy News)

Dhaka Press and Bangladesh Moments reports from July 16 also confirm that the video shows protesting students offering Zohar prayers.

Current unrest in Bangladesh

Around 560 deaths have been reported since July in Bangladesh following anti-reservation protests, including five reported deaths among minority communities, including Hindus. However, the situation is expected to simmer down following the formation of an interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The verdict 

The viral video shows students offering namaz on July 16, 2024, during the anti-reservation protests in Bangladesh. It does not show Hindus being coerced into converting to Islam. 

Logically Facts has been actively debunking misinformation about the unrest in Bangladesh. You can read our fact-checks here.

Translated by Vanita Ganesh