Ethnic cleansing and religious persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh downplayed and whitewashed by CNN
Atlanta, Georgia, United States 
26 August, 2024
Case Summary
CNN, known for promoting anti-India and anti-Hindu narratives, published a biased report blaming India for the floods in Bangladesh. Despite India debunking these allegations twice, clarifying that the floods had no connection to the opening of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura, CNN continued to push the misleading narrative. The article appears to be part of an effort to fuel anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh, where some accused India of deliberately opening the dam gates to flood its neighbour. Apart from the anti-India stance, the article also glossed over the ongoing religious persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, framing it instead as politically motivated violence. CNN presented the attacks on Hindus not as religious persecution, but as reprisals against supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party, following her potential political ouster. CNN's portrayal suggested that the violence was merely a response to perceived political loyalty rather than religious targeting, downplaying the severity of anti-Hindu violence in the region.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category selected is 'Anti Hindu subversion and prejudice', under which this case has been placed under the tertiary category 'Anti-Hindu fake news or downplaying'. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. The removal of Sheikh Hasina from power in Bangladesh on August 5 escalated the persecution and marginalization of the Hindu minority in the predominantly Islamic nation, intensifying what can be described as a silent genocide. Since her ouster, Islamists have carried out unchecked atrocities against Hindus, including physical violence, the destruction of temples and religious symbols, and the systematic displacement of Hindus from their ancestral lands. Over 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses have been recorded following Sheikh Hasina's removal as Prime Minister. Many Hindus have been brutally murdered or injured in these assaults. Amidst this violence, CNN framed the attacks on Hindus not as incidents of religious persecution but as retaliatory actions against supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party, following her possible political ouster. This portrayal by CNN implied that the violence stemmed from political allegiances rather than targeted religious animosity. By doing so, CNN downplayed the gravity of the anti-Hindu violence in the region, shifting focus away from the religious persecution faced by the Hindu minority. This narrative minimised the systemic and religiously motivated attacks on Hindus, reducing the severity of their plight to political retribution, thus obscuring the reality of the situation. This distorted narrative not only masks the truth but also perpetuates a dangerous indifference toward the suffering and religious persecution endured by Hindus. By minimising or ignoring these atrocities, CNN indirectly contributed to the marginalisation and continued persecution of Hindus, normalising the violence against them. This selective reporting can be seen as a form of hate speech, further deepening animosity toward Hindus and their faith and this is why this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
