A photo of Member of Parliament and former Bangladesh cricket captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's house set ablaze by miscreants is being shared on social media with the false claim that it shows Hindu Bangladeshi cricketer Liton Das's house being set on fire.
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on August 5, 2024, after weeks of anti-government protests, bringing an end to her more than two decades in power. The 76-year-old has fled the country and is reportedly in India.
On Monday, visuals captured crowds storming the prime ministerial palace, where they looted and vandalised parts of her former residence. Several ruling party leaders from the Awami League have reportedly been attacked. Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star reported on August 6, 2024, that houses and businesses belonging to the Hindu minority have been targeted in around 27 districts.
The viral photo of a house on fire with a photo of Das posing with Hindu idols is being shared on X with the caption, "Bangladeshi Hindu cricketer Liton Das house has been set on fire."
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The same set of photos are also being with the Hindi caption when translated to English reads, "Cricketer Liton Das' house was also burnt down because he is Hindu. Hindus are finished in Afghanistan Less than 2% in Pakistan. They are also disappearing in Bangladesh. Even in India after independence in 1947, there were 85% Hindus in 2024 there are 78% The smart ones are worried Fools and hypocrites will laugh and make fun of you here too"
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FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the house in the viral photo is that of Member of Parliament and former Bangladesh cricket captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, which was set on fire on August 5, 2024.
Taking a hint from the replies stating that the house in the viral photo is not of cricketer Liton Das, we ran a keyword search and found several Bangladeshi news reports on the incident.
Following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, miscreants vandalised and set fire to the house of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, MP of Narail-2 constituency, on August 5, 2024, reported Dhaka Tribune. The report further added that miscreants also set fire to the District Awami League office and vandalised District Awami League President Subash Chandra Bose’s houses.
In the news report below, we can see the same house that is in the viral photo
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Additionally, we did not find any credible news reports on an attack on Das's house or any statement from the Bangladeshi cricketer on his social media handles about any such incident.
