Upon returning from Dhaka, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who recently visited Bangladesh to hold meetings with their government officials, is learnt to have told a Parliamentary committee on Wednesday (Dec. 11) that the situation regarding attacks on minorities in the neighbouring country seems to be improving but Dhaka was upset over the "overblown media narrative" about it in India.

Misri on Wednesday briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on the India-Bangladesh ties and told the committee that following his interaction with his counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin in Dhaka, the regime has started taking action in matters related to attacks on minorities.

It is learnt that certain questions were asked on the status of Sheikh Hasina's presence in the country and its shadow on India-Bangladesh relations. The Foreign Secretary is also learnt to have apprised the members that Hasina's presence was in line with India's culture and civilisational ethos of protecting friends. He, however, underlined that India did not endorse any of the statements that Hasina had made after her arrival in India.

The committee, headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, is learnt to have been told that India was assured about the protection of minorities in Bangladesh, and that Delhi was hopeful of stronger ties with the country. The secretary also told the panel early elections in Bangladesh was also expected. A total of 21 members of the committee took part in the meeting on Wednesday.

The Foreign Secretary also informed the committee that he had conveyed India's concerns, especially those related to the safety and welfare of minorities to his counterpart in Dhaka and that he was assured of the country safeguarding the rights of the minorities there.

On how India saw the new Bangladesh regime, the foreign secretary is understood to have told the committee that it was not India's job to give a certificate of legitimacy to any regime in any country. He added that it was for the people of that country to decide.

Indicating that India-Bangladesh relations were gradually moving towards normalcy, the foreign secretary is learnt to have told the committee that the Indian High Commission in Dhaka was back to its pre-regime change strength and had begun processing visas to the tune of a thousand per day.

In an interaction with reporters after the meeting, Shashi Tharoor said, "We had an excellent briefing on Bangladesh and the Foreign Secretary, as you know, returned only yesterday from there (Bangladesh), he was able to give us a very thorough briefing. All the important questions that one can imagine were asked by the MPs. A lot of questions were asked. The Foreign Secretary answered comprehensively and candidly. We will be reporting to Parliament on the subject because it's an official topic of the committee."

Earlier, Misri wrapped up his visit to Dhaka, which was the first by a high-level Indian official since the August 5 changeover, by calling on Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus and the Foreign Affairs Adviser, Md. Touhid Hossain. He also held Foreign Office Consultations with the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, Jashim Uddin.

During these meetings, Foreign Secretary Misri highlighted India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. He reiterated India's willingness to build a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh, based on mutual trust and respect and mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns and interests. Foreign Secretary emphasized that people are the main stakeholders in India-Bangladesh relations, and noted that India's development cooperation and multifaceted engagements with Bangladesh, including in the areas of connectivity, trade, power, energy and capacity building, are all geared towards the benefit of the people of Bangladesh.

The Indian Foreign Secretary also discussed certain recent developments and issues and conveyed India's concerns, especially those related to the safety and welfare of minorities. He also raised some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious and diplomatic properties.

During the Foreign Office Consultations, both sides held comprehensive discussions on a wide range of issues covering political and security matters, border management, trade, commerce and connectivity, cooperation in water, power and energy sectors, development cooperation, consular, cultural and people-to-people ties. They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional and multilateral issues, and agreed to enhance consultations and cooperation to advance regional integration, including under the BIMSTEC framework.

It was hoped that the Foreign Secretary's visit will help in sustaining bilateral engagement between India and Bangladesh with a view to addressing concerns as well as advancing the substantive issues in the relationship.

During his meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka, Prof Yunus urged India to help clear the "clouds" surrounding the situation and raised the issue of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India on August 5 after 15 years of corrupt dictatorship.

"Our people are concerned because she is making many statements from there. It creates tensions," he told the Indian foreign secretary.

Misri said New Delhi wants to increase engagements with Bangladesh's Interim Government and make "joint and concerted efforts" to boost relationships between the two neighbours.

"There is no second thought about increasing engagements. We see this as beneficial for both countries. We want to carry on from where we left off," Misri said as they discussed issues of mutual interests.

During the 40-minute long meeting, the issues of minorities, misinformation campaigns, ousted dictator Sheikh Hasina's stay in India, regional cooperation and the July-August mass uprising were discussed.

"We have to do business with the government of the day. This is a major relationship," said the Indian Foreign Secretary.

Misri, who held a bilateral meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart earlier in the day, said he monitored events in Bangladesh almost every hour during the July-August mass uprising.

The Chief Adviser elaborated how students, workers and people joined hands in July-August to end Hasina's corrupt regime through the mass uprising.

"Our job is to keep their dreams alive. It is a new Bangladesh," he said and briefly outlined the reform initiatives undertaken by the Interim Government.

Misri said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first foreign leaders to greet Professor Yunus after he assumed office.

"We wish you every success," he said, adding that media narratives and the Indian government's perception about India-Bangladesh relations are different.

He said it was a wrong perception that India had ties with one particular party in Bangladesh. "They are not meant for one particular party, but for everyone."

Prof Yunus called for close bilateral cooperation in floods and water management urged India to join his initiative to revive SAARC. "We want to build a prosperous new future for all of us," the Chief Adviser said.

Misri said that India continues to engage with SAARC, while there are some obstacles.

About the minority issues, the Chief Adviser said the Interim Government is committed to protecting every citizen and safeguarding their rights irrespective of their creed, colour, ethnicity and gender. "We are a family. We have to work together," he said.

Misri said India doubled the number of visas for Bangladeshis last month and would increase the number further in the coming days. "We can take our relationships forward," he said.

Rumours abound

Since August 12, a total of 49 Indian media outlets disseminated at least 13 false reports concerning the political upheaval in Bangladesh, according to an investigation by Rumor Scanner, a fact-checking media organization in Bangladesh.

In a report titled "Spread of Fake News About Bangladesh in Indian Media Outlets," released on its website on Friday, Rumor Scanner refuted the false claims and pinpointed the media outlets responsible for disseminating the misinformation.

The report suggests that the misinformation ranged from fabricated claims about prominent figures to misleading portrayals of sensitive events, exacerbating tensions in both nations.

The unrest in Bangladesh followed a High Court ruling in June that deemed the 2018 abolition of the quota system illegal, sparking a nationwide student movement.

Protests escalated into violent clashes, ultimately leading to the ousting of Sheikh Hasina as the prime minister on August 5 and the establishment of an interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus on August 8.

Amid this instability, Indian media outlets spread claims, including a fabricated open letter attributed to Sheikh Hasina blaming foreign powers for her removal, false allegations about Dr Yunus being hospitalized, and reports of militant organizations resuming operations.

Prominent outlets such as Republic Bangla, Hindustan Times, and Zee News were among those that spread the false reports, with Republic Bangla leading the pack by publishing five false reports.

Some examples

On November 5, Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, won the 47th Presidential election in the United States. Following his victory, a claim circulated in Indian media suggesting that Dr Muhammad Yunus had fled to France. However, an investigation by the Rumor Scanner team revealed that this claim was false. The photo used as evidence of his escape was actually taken on August 8, when Dr Yunus was returning from France to Bangladesh.

On November 13, a container ship docked at the Port of Chittagong from Karachi, Pakistan, marking the first such arrival since independence. Indian media falsely claimed it was the Pakistani military vessel "Swat" from the 1971 Liberation War, allegedly carrying weapons. However, the Rumor Scanner team confirmed the ship was the MV Yuan Xiang Fa Zhan, a commercial vessel delivering industrial materials and consumer goods to Bangladesh.

Some Indian media outlets claimed that Indian satellite channels had been shut down in Bangladesh. However, an investigation by the Rumor Scanner team found that the channels were still operational. Both the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh confirmed that the claim was false.

A recent video circulated online, claiming that Muslims in Bangladesh had attacked a Hindu temple and vandalized idols. This claim was also highlighted by some Indian media outlets. However, the Rumor Scanner team discovered that the video was not from Bangladesh but from Sultanpur village in East Burdwan district, India, depicting a scene of idol immersion. The video had no connection to any attacks on Hindu temples in Bangladesh.

This wave of false reporting has underscored the need for greater scrutiny of media practices, especially during politically volatile times, as misinformation risks inflaming regional sensitivities.

Rumour Scanner has found that about 72% of social media accounts spreading fake and misinformation against Bangladesh are located in India.

The fact checking body on Wednesday (December 11) released a report titled "India's disinformation flood on Bangladesh: What's actually happening?", showing how Indian media, alongside social media, are regularly spreading false information about the Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 in 2024.

The report said: "In the wake of the student-led mass uprising in Bangladesh in August of this year, the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina fell. Before the current interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus took office on August 8, political attacks increased due to the stagnation of the administration and law enforcement agencies. At that time minorities were also affected."

From a kernel of truth

However, Rumor Scanner found through its investigations that while many attacks occurred against those with Hindu religious identities due to their political affiliations or grievances, numerous incidents were falsely propagated as communal attacks.

X accounts operated from India and several Indian media outlets played a significant role in spreading these propagandas, it said.

Between August 5-13, Rumor Scanner's investigation unit identified 50 accounts on the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) that had disseminated various images, videos, and information related to the August events in Bangladesh, presenting them in a communal light.

Rumor Scanner, and other fact-checkers, found evidence of the propagation of communal misinformation and false information in at least one post from each of these accounts as these posts, disseminated between August 5th and 13th, were viewed over 15.4 million times.

The fact checking body estimates that these misinformation reached 10 to 12 times the number of people at that time on multiple other accounts and media.

The investigation unit has found: "72% of the accounts spreading fake and misinformation are located in India. Among the account holders, there are many responsible individuals. Even several mainstream media outlets in India have propagated this false information. This disinformation flood was so powerful that it was not confined to India; even well-known public figures from different countries have promoted these claims."

The spread of communal misinformation between India and Bangladesh is not new. However, fighting against such a large volume of disinformation in such a short time in August was quite challenging for Rumor Scanner.

"We worked tirelessly day and night. During this time, false information on various sensitive issues in Bangladesh has also spread beyond social media and reached the Indian media," it said.