Danger of disinformation by radical islamists in Bangladesh

Many districts in Eastern Bangladesh have been flooded in recent weeks by rain brought on by a heavy monsoon. However rumours circulating on social media have claimed that the flooding was “artificial” or exacerbated by India opening dams and barrages on rivers near the border with Bangladesh.

Radical groups like Hefazat-e-Islam, known to spread various rumours and misinformation have been falsely accusing New Delhi of releasing water from the Dumbur Dam, situated in the Indian state of Tripura, on the Gomati River that flows from India into Bangladesh. These allegations are part of a broader pattern of using misinformation to stir up public sentiment and achieve their political and ideological goals.

Without any proof, even responsible ministers in the Interim government like Mohammad Nahid Islam, Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Affairs adviser have been stating that India opened a dam without issuing any prior warning and giving Bangladesh scope to prepare.

Of course these false claims have been debunked. The flooding in Bangladesh is primarily due to heavy monsoon rains. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has firmly rejected these allegations, stating that they are factually incorrect and misleading. The MEA emphasised that there is regular and timely exchange of data and critical information between India and Bangladesh regarding water management. MEA statement said, “The flooding is due to waters from the catchment downstream from the dam, which is located over 120 kilometres upstream from the Bangladesh border.” The statement also said that due to heavy rain since August 21, “automatic releases have been observed.”

While lots of original pictures and videos of the ongoing flood in Bangladesh have been shared online by many people, several social media posts have also been sharing old pictures, falsely claiming they are from the recent floods in Bangladesh. (newsbomb)

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