Some Indian media outlets spread false and misleading information about a road accident involving a Shyamoli Paribahan bus on the Dhaka-Agartala-Dhaka route in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh. 

Fact-checking organization Rumor Scanner revealed this in a report on Tuesday.

Rumor Scanner said these reports lack credible evidence and cautioned against such misinformation, which could strain cross-border relations and fuel unnecessary tensions. 

Authorities and fact-checkers also urged media outlets to verify facts before publishing sensitive news.

Rumor Scanner claimed that according to the Indian media outlets' reports, a Bangladeshi truck 'intentionally' collided with the Shyamoli Paribahan bus in Brahmanbaria. The reports also alleged that Indian passengers on the bus were threatened with violence by locals, who reportedly chanted anti-India slogans.

Tripura's Transport Minister, Sushanta Chowdhury, echoed these claims in a post on his Facebook page. The misinformation has also spread widely among Indian social media users.

However, Rumor Scanner’s investigation revealed that the claims of an intentional collision and harassment of Indian passengers are baseless. The incident was a typical road accident caused by an overtaking attempt, the report added.

According to Rumor Scanner, Brahmanbaria police held a press conference on December 1 to address the claims made by Indian media. Bus driver Md Asadul Haque, who was present at the briefing, explained that the accident occurred on Saturday afternoon when the bus was traveling from Agartala to Dhaka via Brahmanbaria.

The collision happened in the Suhilpur Chandiyara area of Brahmanbaria Sadar when a truck attempted to overtake the bus, forcing it to swerve left and hit a three-wheeler van. The van was damaged, and its driver was injured. A verbal dispute ensued between the bus and van drivers, prompting highway police to intervene and mediate between the parties. The matter was resolved on the spot, and the bus later continued its journey to Dhaka.

At the press conference, police clarified that there were no attacks or inflammatory remarks against any nationality or community. The bus carried 17 Indian and 9 Bangladeshi passengers, none of whom were harmed in the accident.

Bus driver Md Asadul Haque expressed surprise at the misinformation circulating in Indian media. He confirmed that there were no disputes involving Indian passengers and local residents.

Brahmanbaria Superintendent of Police Md Javedur Rahman described the claims as misinformation by Indian media outlets. He emphasized that the press conference was organized to clarify the truth, with the involved individuals present to share their accounts.

Videos of the press conference, as well as a Channel 24 report titled “Accident or Attack: Driver Reveals the Truth,” corroborated the findings. Additionally, Rumor Scanner identified a social media post by Siddhant Sibbal, an associate editor at Indian media outlet WION News. In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Sibbal stated that no passengers on the bus were harassed. The accompanying video showed several passengers confirming the same.

Rumor Scanner concluded that the claims of a planned attack on the bus in Brahmanbaria were entirely false and based on misinformation.

BDST: 1743 HRS, DEC 04, 2024
MSK/SMS