Misleading communal claims about the Cumilla market fire
Some posts on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) claim that Islamists set fire to Hindu-owned shops in Chandina, Cumilla. However, verification shows that this claim is not accurate. Although the fire incident is real, there is no communal connection to it. Most of the shops in the market were damaged in the fire, and the affected shop owners include both Muslims and Hindus.
An X account named Faraz Parvaiz posted a caption claiming, “Bangladesh: Islamist Mob Attacks #Hindu Shops in Madhaiya Bazar, Chandina, Cumilla; Looting and Arson Blamed on Stove Flame. Please Repost. Religious minorities are not safe in Bangladesh.” The post included a video showing a market engulfed in flames. This video has been shared with similar claims by multiple X accounts (1, 2).
Dismislab’s verification reveals that the incident took place in Madhaiya Bazar of Madhaiya Union, Chandina Upazila, Cumilla. On the night of December 29 (Sunday), a fire broke out in Madhaiya Bazar, destroying over 70 businesses. In addition to the shops, a nearby post office, mosque, and madrasa were also damaged. According to a report by the local newspaper Daily Comillar Kagoj, the fire originated from the stove of a sweet shop in the market and subsequently spread to adjacent stores. There is no evidence to support claims that only Hindu-owned shops were targeted or that the fire was an intentional act. The report mentions a veterinary medicine shop named Mannan Veterinary suffering damages worth 8 million Bangladeshi Taka. Posts on Facebook also indicate that several Muslim-owned shops were damaged in the fire (1, 2). Multiple media outlets have reported on the incident (1, 2, 3, 4).
To gather more details about the victims, Dismislab contacted K.M. Jamal, the president of the Madhaiya Bazar Traders Association. He stated, “This is not a communal incident. Among the 73 businesses listed as damaged, 3-4 belong to individuals of the Hindu community.”
K.M. Jamal, president of the Madhaiya Bazar Traders Association, also shared a list of the affected shop owners with Dismislab. The list, signed by the president and secretary of the traders association, shows that out of the 72 affected shops, 6 are owned by members of the Hindu community.
A recent report published by Dismislab this month reveals that, following the fall of the Awami League government during the mass uprising in Bangladesh in August, communal and religiously inflammatory misinformation has gained prominence among religious disinformation narratives. Compared to the January–July period of this year, the occurrence of communal conflict-related and religiously hateful misinformation increased by 43% and 21%, respectively, between August and November. The report further notes two distinct trends in the nature of this misinformation during the post-uprising period. First, Bangladesh has been portrayed as an extremist Islamist state where minorities are increasingly unsafe. This narrative has been predominantly disseminated by Indian media outlets and social media users. Second, various social media pages and profiles from within Bangladesh have spread hatred against the Hindu community and related organizations. These two narratives collectively have contributed to heightened social divisions and tensions.
