False Claim: Image Shows Hindu Woman Raped And Killed in Bangladesh

A photo of a woman found wrapped in polythene with her hands and feet bound in Barishal, Bangladesh, is viral on social media with the false claim that she had been raped and murdered for being Hindu.

BOOM found that the woman—Muslim by religion—is alive, and is a victim of a personal dispute.

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Claim:

A Facebook post shared the image a woman wrapped in polythene, claiming she was a Hindu woman raped and killed in Barishal. The Bangla caption read: "Another horrifying incident in Barishal: A married Hindu woman has been found with her hands and feet tied and wrapped in polythene in a jungle near Talukdar Market on Bhola Road. Suspected rape. Hindu lives are under constant attack. When will the world wake up?" (archive)

News outlet TV9 Bangla also reported the false claim in a report published on June 30, 2025, titled: ‘The heart was still beating! Hindu woman raped, acid poured, and dumped wrapped in plastic.’ (archive)

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What We Found:

BOOM contacted Barishal's Bandar Police Station, where Inspector Delwar Hossain confirmed that the rescued woman is named Maria Begum and she is Muslim.

News outlets confirm identity: Multiple Bangladeshi media outlets (here and here), including Samakal and Bangladesh Pratidin, reported on the incident, confirming her identity as being Muslim, and not Hindu. Maria Begum, 23, was rescued on June 29 from the Barishal-Bhola highway with her hands and feet tied and acid burns on her body.

Incident result of personal dispute: She is three months pregnant and alleged that her husband's ex-wife's relatives abducted and assaulted her to force an abortion.

Police confirmation: BOOM Bangladesh contacted Inspector Delwar Hossain of Barishal’s Bandar Police Station to confirm the woman's religious identity. He confirmed that the woman found wrapped in polythene in Barishal is named Maria Begum and she is a follower of Islam (Muslim).