Claim that Muslims were excluded from computer training in Bhola is misleading
A list of names has been circulating on Facebook with the allegation that a government-run computer training program in Bhola district, in southern Bangladesh, selectively excluded Muslim applicants to favor Hindus. Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country of roughly 170 million people, with Hindus forming its largest religious minority, at about 8% of the population; tensions between the two communities occasionally flare into political controversy, particularly around allegations of unequal treatment by the state. The posts claim that the government official overseeing the program discriminated against Muslims because he is himself Hindu. A fact-check by Dismislab found the claim to be misleading. The training was in fact reserved for members of “backward communities” — a government-designated category of historically marginalized groups, most of whom in this case happened to be Hindu — and among the applicants, only seven were Muslim, none of whom had applied for the computer training.
A post on Facebook from a profile named “Eleaus Mufti” came to Dismislab’s attention. The post, dated July 11, included an image of a list of names with the caption, “Honorable prime minister, what is happening in the country? Who have you included in the Cabinet? Look at this sample picture from the social welfare department in Bhola district: Based on appearances, it looks as though the brother-in-law of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari (a reference to a prominent Hindu nationalist politician in the neighboring Indian state of West Bengal, invoked here to suggest foreign, cross-border favoritism) has received a ‘prize posting’ as the social welfare officer in Bhola district, Bangladesh!”
The post continued, “In the list of participants recently published for the basic computer training program, nearly 90% of the names appear to belong to Hindus!! Allegations have emerged that Muslim applicants were selectively excluded. Even three Hindu members of a single family were included, yet not a single Muslim name appears!!!!”
As of the time this report was published, the post had been shared more than 4,500 times, received more than 9,000 reactions and drawn more than 1,000 comments. One comment read, “The social welfare officer must certainly be brought under the law and given an exemplary punishment. Otherwise, the public will be forced to deliver justice themselves.” Another comment read, “Radical Hindu groups are the root cause of unrest in this country.”
A keyword search found that between July 4 and July 15, more than 700 posts making the same claim were published across various Facebook groups, pages and profiles.
The earliest such post identified by Dismislab was from a profile named “Mir Tanu.” Posted at 9:21am on July 4, the post was tagged with a check-in at a location called “Ukil Para” in Bhola. Alongside the list of names, the caption read, “It appears the brother-in-law of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has received a ‘prize posting’ as the social welfare officer of Bhola district! In the list of participants recently published for the basic computer training program, nearly 90% of the names appear to belong to Hindus. Allegations have emerged that many Muslim applicants were selectively excluded.”
The post continued, “It has been learned that the social welfare officer in question is named Rajat Suvra Sarkar, who is himself a Hindu. If discrimination based on religious identity has occurred in the recruitment or selection process, this is deeply concerning and warrants a fair and impartial investigation. Merit — not religion — should be the sole criterion in the distribution of government benefits.”
As of the time this report was published, that post had been shared more than 450 times, had received more than 1,000 reactions and had drawn more than 300 comments.
A keyword search also uncovered posts with the same claim and image circulating on X, formerly Twitter, as well as on TikTok and Instagram.
Upon verification, Dismislab found faint text at the very bottom of the circulated list, reading, “Backward Communities Training, 2025-2026.”
Following that lead, a keyword search led to a notice from the Bhola Department of Social Services, an agency under Bangladesh’s central government responsible for welfare programs at the district level, published on the Bangladesh National Web Portal. The notice’s subject line read, “Notice and application form for skills development training for backward communities.”
The district social services office published the notice on May 7, 2026. It invited members of the transgender community, referred to in the notice by the South Asian term “hijra,” the Bede community — a traditionally nomadic, river-dwelling community found across Bangladesh — and various other backward communities, aged between 18 and 40 as of April 30, to apply using a designated form. The application deadline was set for May 20.
The notice listed, as examples of “backward communities” alongside the hijra and Bede communities, a range of traditional occupational and caste groups — including washermen, barbers, potters, blacksmiths, boatmen, weavers and fishing communities — identified in the original document under the local terms Nikari, Sannyasi, Patni, Khami, Tanti, Patikar, Narasundar/Napit, Domar, Chunar/Chunkar, Goala, Dom, Kumar, Telungu, Hajam, Raut, Jaladas, Malakar, Kamar, Bawali, Bansphor, Mata, Mowal, Rajakdas/Dhopa, Rabidas, Shabdakar, Lalbegi, Mal, Sutar, Mali, Badhyakar, Kalu, Dhunkar, Matial and Gachi, among others.
When contacted, Rajat Suvra Sarkar, deputy director of the Bhola social services office, said, “The selection process was completed through two magistrates in the presence of the deputy commissioner” — the senior civil administrator who oversees each of Bangladesh’s 64 districts — “The deputy commissioner selected those who received the highest marks based on their interview scores. There was no consideration of religion or caste in this process.”
Kazi Golam Kabir, another official at the Bhola social services office, told Dismislab that among the backward communities, it was primarily members of the washerman, cobbler and barber communities who applied. This, he said, is why Hindu names predominated in the list of selected candidates. He added that among the few Muslim applicants, none had applied for the computer trade — they had instead sought placements in agriculture or other trades.
Dismislab obtained, via email from the Bhola district social services office, the minutes of the coordination committee meeting, the list of applicants and the final evaluation list. A review of these documents showed that a total of 113 people had applied for the training. After verifying the names of applicants and their parents, Dismislab found that seven applicants were Muslim.
The minutes of the Bhola coordination committee noted that the “computer application” trade was selected for the training because of high demand for that skill set. Based on interview scores, 25 trainees interested in that trade were placed on the final list.
A review of the applicant list showed that none of the seven Muslim applicants had applied for the “computer application” trade.
A review of the list of selected candidates showed that, among the 25 selected, the largest group — eight individuals — belonged to the Rabidas community, one of the caste groups named in the original notice. Candidates from several other named communities, including the Harijan, Dom, Napit and Namasudra groups, as well as the Goala community, were also included.
The social media posts claimed that Rajat Suvra Sarkar, the district social services officer, selectively favored Hindus because he himself is Hindu. Official records, however, show that the selection process was not made by his individual decision. On June 10, a meeting and interview session of the district coordination committee was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Shamim Rahman, the deputy commissioner of Bhola district. A 30-point evaluation exam was administered to the 100 candidates present, based on their educational qualifications, socioeconomic status and stated interests. Stamps and signatures at the bottom of the evaluation and results list show that two assistant commissioners, Md Ashraful Alam and Md Nurul Alam, conducted the oral examinations. Following that interview process, the committee, led by the deputy commissioner, finalized the selection of 25 candidates for the computer application trade.
In conclusion, the training program organized by the Bhola social services office was specifically designated for members of historically marginalized occupational and caste communities, most of whom are Hindu by tradition. None of the seven Muslim applicants had applied for the computer trade. The selection process was conducted on merit by a committee led by the deputy commissioner. The claim that Muslims were deliberately excluded from the list is therefore baseless and misleading.
