Fact Check: Social Media Posts Falsely Claim Cricketer Liton Das’s House Set On Fire 

Claim: Extremists set fire to cricketer Liton Das’s house because he belongs to a minority community.
Fact: This claim was spread by using images from the incident where Mashrafe’s house was set on fire.

Several posts have gone viral on social media claiming that cricketer Liton Kumar Das’s house was set on fire. It is alleged that extremists set fire to his house because he is a minority Hindu. See the posts here, here, here & here.

Newschecker-Bangladesh has verified this claim and found it to be false.

Fact check/Verification: 

A claim has been circulating on social media that extremists set fire to cricketer Liton Kumar Das’s house because he is a Hindu. To verify the authenticity of this claim, we conducted a reverse image search on the images used in these posts. The reverse image search revealed that the burning building in the posts belonged to Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, a former captain of the Bangladesh cricket team and an Awami League MP, not Liton Kumar Das. See the reports here- Prothom Alo, Dhaka tribune & UNB.

Utilizing the reverse image search feature, it was discovered that the viral post incorporated an image resembling the one featured in a UNB report titled “Fire at Mashrafe’s House in Narail.

After conducting extensive keyword searches, it was discovered that there was no evidence to support the news about Liton Das’ house being burned down.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, was compelled to leave the country in Bangladesh due to rising student and public protests. Over time, reports of violence, including casualties, vandalism, looting, and attacks, emerged from various regions of the country. Additionally, rumours of attacks against minorities circulated on social media platforms.

Reports from Kaler Kontho, Nayadiganto, and Jugantor revealed extensive vandalism and arson targeting Awami League party offices. The houses of several Awami leaders, including Sakib and Mashrafi, were also damaged. 

However, Litton Das’s social media handle has not confirmed such news. (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube) 

Conclusion

Social media posts falsely claimed that Liton Das’s house was set ablaze by the protesters, but the viral image shows Awami League leader Mashrafe Mortaza’s house set on fire.

Result: False

Our Sources
Prothom Alo, Dhaka tribune & UNB.