A photo going viral on social media (here, here, and here) shows a group of Muslim men offering prayers in chest-deep water. The post claims this is related to the current 2024 floods in Bangladesh. Let’s verify the post through this article.
Claim: Group of Muslim men offering prayers amid the 2024 floods in Bangladesh
Fact: The photo is from Sharwar Hussain’s “Tears of Global Warming” project, which focuses on the impact of climate change on developing countries. It shows a scene from Satkhira, Bangladesh. Satkhira, a low-lying coastal area near the Sundarbans mangrove forest, often sees residents praying in chest-deep water due to flooding. This practice is in response to extreme tides that have severely affected the region. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
A Google Lens search on the viral image directed us to the ‘Milano Photo Festival’ website. Here, we found the same image featured in an article about the World Water Day Photo Contest 2022. Additionally, the image was shared on the Festival’s Instagram page on 12 September 2022. This confirms that the photograph is old and not related to the current 2024 floods in Bangladesh.
The photograph, credited to Sharwar Hussain on the International Photography Awards website, shows a scene from Satkhira, Bangladesh, taken on 8 October 2021. Satkhira is a low-lying coastal area near the Sundarbans mangrove forest, where residents often pray in chest-deep water due to flooding. This practice is a response to extreme tides, which have severely impacted the region.
We reviewed Sharwar Hussain’s Instagram profile and found two 2022 posts (here and here) featuring the viral photograph. In the captions, Hussain explained that the photo is part of his long-term project titled “Tears of Global Warming.” He shared it to highlight the impact of climate change on developing countries, aiming to raise awareness among global leaders. He also noted that winning second place in the World Water Day Photo Contest 2022 would help spread his message worldwide.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that the floods in Bangladesh are not caused by the release of water from the Gumti River dam in Tripura. For details, see the full statement here.
To sum up, an old photo of men praying in water is falsely linked to 2024 Bangladesh floods.
