The incident involving the conversion of three members of the same family from Hinduism to Islam in Cumilla is not recent, and it occurred voluntarily. Recently, a photo of a notarized affidavit featuring three individuals was circulated on social media platform X, accompanied by the claim that Badal Chandra Shil of Cumilla had converted to Islam along with his family under pressure, allegedly to protect his wife's dignity. This claim has been amplified by posts from various accounts. One such account, ‘Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus,’ stated, “To live in Bangladesh, one must convert to Islam. Badal Chandra Shil of Cumilla converted under pressure to safeguard his wife’s honor.” Another account, ‘Pakistan Untold,’ claimed, “To save my wife and child, I was forced to renounce my religion and convert to Islam... Under pressure from Islamists, Bangladeshi Hindu Badal Chandra Shil embraced Islam along with his entire Hindu family.”
Fact-Check
Rumor Scanner Team's investigation has revealed that the claim stating Badal Chandra Shil converted to Islam under pressure to protect his wife’s dignity is untrue. In reality, the family voluntarily converted to Islam in 2021. The recent claim is a re-circulation of an older event. Local online media outlet Daily Cumilla News published a report on 29 April 2021 titled “Three members of the same family convert to Islam in Cumilla’s Burichang,” which includes a feature image that matches the photo currently being circulated. The report states that three members of the same family from Mokam village in Cumilla’s Burichang upazila converted from Hinduism to Islam. On Wednesday, 28 April 2021, they appeared at the Cumilla Notary Office and submitted an affidavit to formally renounce Hinduism and adopt Islam. Their previous names were Badal Chandra Shil, his wife Shipra Rani Shil, and their son Orko Chandra Shil. Their new names are Md. Al Amin, Jannatul Ferdous, and Mehedi Hasan. After converting, Md. Al Amin stated that Islam is a religion of peace and that it offers a beneficial way of life for people. He added that this realization led them to adopt Islam during the holy month of Ramadan. Their voluntary conversion during Ramadan was welcomed by the local Muslim community.
Following this lead, a search using relevant keywords uncovered a similar report published on the website of another local newspaper, Cumillar Kagoj, which confirmed the same facts. National media outlets including UNB, Bangladesh Pratidin, and News24 also reported on the same event, reiterating that the conversion was voluntary and occurred in 2021. Therefore, the claim that Badal Chandra Shil and his family converted to Islam under pressure in Cumilla is misleading. The family’s conversion took place voluntarily in 2021 without any threat or coercion.
Original News Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/comilla-religious-conversionbadal-chandra-shill-voluntary-2021/159951
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Fact-Check Alert
Please be aware of misleading information about Bangladesh politics on social media and verify sources before sharing.
Before sharing any photocard, always verify it by checking the original media source.
Sharing religious misinformation and disinformation can cause harm. Always verify before sharing.
Before sharing any photocard, always verify it by checking the original media source.
Sharing religious misinformation and disinformation can cause harm. Always verify before sharing.