Amid the continuing protests in Bangladesh, a video of a woman signing a document while surrounded by a crowd is circulating with claims that protesters are coercing Hindus to resign from government positions. In this article, we fact-check the accuracy of these claims.
Claim: Video footage depicts Hindu government officials in Bangladesh being forced to resign by protesters.
Fact: The woman seen being compelled to resign in this video is Amena Begum, the principal of ‘Kabi Nazrul Government College.’ She was forced to resign by the protesting students in Bangladesh. There are no reports indicating that Hindus specifically are being targeted and made to resign. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Bangladesh has witnessed deadly protests that began in July 2024 as an anti-quota movement. Recently, these mass protests have evolved into a major anti-government uprising. The situation escalated when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country. Protesters forcefully entered her official residence in Dhaka, looting and vandalizing the premises (here & here).
Reports have emerged that protesters, including Bangladesh Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, compelled major officials to resign. Following the Chief Justice’s resignation, two Appellate Division judges, Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique and Justice Kashefa Hussain, also stepped down. The current viral footage also shows a college principal being coerced to resign. However, as claimed, the incident is not connected to any communal conflict.
A reverse image search of the viral visuals led us to news reports featuring the same images. According to these reports, students protesting against the reservation quota in Bangladesh held a demonstration targeting Amena Begum, the principal of ‘Kabi Nazrul Government College,’ and forced her to resign.
These reports suggest that the protesting students have accused Amena Begum, a prominent member of the Awami League, of engaging in various irregularities and corruption. Additional news sources that identify the woman in the video as Amena Begum can be found here and here. The college’s Facebook page also identifies the woman as Amena Begum.
To sum up, a video of protesters coercing a college principal to resign in Bangladesh is being shared with communal claims.
