18 August 2024: News agency Asian News International (ANI) faced criticism after sharing a video that misidentified an elderly man mourning his missing son as a Hindu from Bangladesh, seeking justice amidst ongoing violence. The man, later confirmed to be a Muslim named Babul Haoladar, was mistakenly portrayed as a member of the minority Hindu community by ANI.
BOOM conducted a fact-check and revealed that the grieving father is, in fact, a Muslim whose son, Mohammed Sunny Haoladar, disappeared during the regime of Sheikh Hasina in 2013. The protester, Babul Haoladar, participated in a demonstration calling for justice and the return of his son, who he believes was taken by RAB 10, an elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police.
During a live broadcast by Bangladeshi news portal Barta24, Haoladar recounted his ordeal, explaining that his son was abducted from a relative’s house in Pirojpur on January 10, 2013. Since then, Haoladar has tirelessly searched for answers, appealing to various authorities, including police stations and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), but his efforts have been in vain. He also claimed to have received threats from officials and was coerced into signing documents without understanding their contents.
The video, which ANI initially posted on their official X handle, showed Haoladar sitting on the road, clutching a poster of his son and pleading for justice. The news agency described him as a Hindu protesting in Bangladesh, leading to a widespread sharing of the video by several right-wing accounts, perpetuating the false narrative.
Following BOOM’s fact-check, ANI on Sunday deleted the original post and issued a clarification acknowledging the mistake.
Haoladar’s story highlights the broader turmoil in Bangladesh, where ongoing violence has claimed over 440 lives since the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024. The protests have seen people from across the country demanding justice for missing relatives, many of whom are believed to be held in secret prisons such as Aynaghor, or the ‘House of Mirrors,’ allegedly operated by the DGFI.
The misidentification by ANI has sparked discussions about the importance of accurate reporting, especially in sensitive situations where misinformation can further inflame communal tensions.
