As Hindus of Bangladesh face a genocide-like situation in their backyard at the hands of radicals, a section of the media is busy shifting the blame on the Hindus for attracting violence against themselves.
Joining the fray on Wednesday, August 7, the New York Times (NYT) in one of its reports termed the ongoing anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh as “revenge attack” by anti-Hasina protestors who earlier ousted her from the post of Prime Minister and forced her to leave the country.
The headline given by the NYT earlier read “Hindus in Bangladesh Face Revenge Attacks after Prime Minister’s exit. However, the attempt to term the violent protests which has eventually turned into a full-fledged anti-Hindu violence as “revenge attack” received immediate backslash from netizens.
A number of nationalist handles on social media platform X called out the headline an attempt to whitewash the ongoing anti-Hindu violence in separate corners of the Bangladesh forcing NYT to change its headline. The portal then quietly changed the headline of the said articles though the narrative that the Hindus in Bangladesh are paying the price for supporting Sheikh Hasina remained unchanged.
Comparing the act to propaganda peddled by the Nazis in 1930, author Abhishek Banerjee in a post on X said, “For New York Times, attack on Hindus in Bangladesh is not persecution. It is “revenge”. Revenge for what? A “perception” that Hindus supported Sheikh Hasina in elections… This is 1930s Nazi level stuff from New York Times.”
For New York Times, attack on Hindus in Bangladesh is not persecution
It is "revenge"
Revenge for what?
A "perception" that Hindus supported Sheikh Hasina in elections…
This is 1930s Nazi level stuff from New York Times pic.twitter.com/Lc8Hce8umn
— Abhishek (@AbhishBanerj) August 8, 2024
Another nationalist handle with the name of Anshul Saxena wrote that “The New York Times justified the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh by calling them “revenge attacks.” Now, a narrative is being created that Hindus are culprits, so they deserve this, while those carrying out the attacks are being whitewashed. This is international media for you.”
Another user Bala while posting the screengrab of the earlier headline given by the NYT’s remarked that “New York Times has reported the Genocide of Bangladeshi Hindus as ‘Revenge Attacks.’ NYT is trying to whitewash the killings of Hindus as attacks against supporters of Sheikh Hasina.”
The New York Times justified the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh by calling them "revenge attacks."
Now, a narrative is being created that Hindus are culprits, so they deserve this, while those carrying out the attacks are being whitewashed.
This is international media for you. pic.twitter.com/F7pLaHomxE
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) August 8, 2024
New York Times @nytimes has reported the Genocide of Bangladeshi Hindus as 'Revenge Attacks.'
NYT is trying to whitewash the killings of Hindus as attacks against supporters of Sheikh Hasina. pic.twitter.com/36jtxewunb
— BALA (@erbmjha) August 8, 2024
Notably, Hindus who constitute a mere 8 per cent of Bangladeshi population are under attack in several parts of the country after the radical elements in guise of protestors managed to oust Prime Minister Seikh Hasina who dramatically escape from Bangladesh on August 5.
The departure of Hasina and falling of the Awami league regime paved way for unabated violence against the minorities and the Hindus in several parts of the country facing a major political upheaval. According to the reports, scores of people from the minority community were killed while their business, houses and temples have been vandalized in the targeted attacks since August 5.
Other than the killings, reports pertaining to incidents of loot and sexual assault of women have also surfaced in media and several social media handles who have reported widely about the on ground situation.
Though despite of several videos and other electronic evidences linked to atrocities on minority Hindus emerging from the violence-hit parts of Bangladesh, a section of national and international media has continued with their narrative of branding theses attack as everything but communal in nature.
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