New Delhi, August 15: South Asia’s leading news agency, ANI, is under fire for sharing a misleading video that falsely claimed a Hindu man in Bangladesh was pleading for justice for his missing son. The video, which was widely circulated across social media platforms, turned out to be a misrepresentation, sparking outrage and criticism.
The man featured in the video, identified as wearing a skull cap and holding a photo of his son, is actually a Muslim named Mohammad Suny Hawlader. The protest shown in the video involved several Muslim families demanding justice for their missing relatives. Despite the clear misrepresentation, the video was initially shared by ANI with a caption that created a false narrative.
After being called out on social media for the error, ANI deleted the video. However, the damage was already done, as the video had been picked up by various right-wing accounts and other media outlets that rely on ANI’s news feed, perpetuating the false information.
Prominent fact-checkers, including Mohammed Zubair of AltNews, as well as netizens have expressed disbelief at how such a reputed news agency could fail to verify the facts before sharing such a sensitive story. Although ANI has removed the misleading video, its impact continues to resonate on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, where the false narrative persists.
Critics have pointed out that this incident highlights the dangers of unchecked misinformation, particularly when it comes from trusted sources. As the video continues to circulate, it raises concerns about the role of media in verifying information before it reaches the public.
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the responsibilities of news agencies and the potential consequences of spreading unverified information, especially in a region where religious tensions can easily be inflamed by such false reports.
