Fact Check: Viral Muhammad Yunus Quote About Mother’s Assault During Bangladesh Liberation War is False

A fabricated statement attributed to Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus has been circulating on social media, falsely claiming he said his mother was sexually assaulted by Pakistani soldiers during Bangladesh’s 1971 independence struggle.

The manipulated image, designed to mimic a news graphic from the respected Dhaka Tribune, features a photo of Yunus alongside the purported quote. Several social media users have shared this doctored content, with one Facebook user adding the inflammatory caption, “And then this man was born.”

An investigation by India Today’s Fact Check team has conclusively determined that this statement is entirely fabricated. Muhammad Yunus never made such remarks about his mother, Sofia Khatun.

Through reverse image search techniques, fact-checkers identified the original Dhaka Tribune post from December 14, which used the same photo and design layout. However, the authentic post’s text read, “CA Yunus mourns the casualties of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in drone attack in Sudan,” and featured a different font style than the manipulated version.

The investigation found no credible news reports or verified statements from Yunus making any such claim about his mother. To further verify this conclusion, fact-checkers contacted Nayem Ali, Assistant Press Secretary to Muhammad Yunus, who explicitly confirmed that the interim leader had made no such statement.

Biographical information about Muhammad Yunus indicates that his mother, Sofia Khatun, was indeed influential in his formative years, but there is no historical record or statement from Yunus suggesting she experienced such trauma during the liberation struggle.

This fabricated quote emerges amid ongoing political transitions in Bangladesh. Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of Grameen Bank, was appointed to lead Bangladesh’s interim government following the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August after widespread protests.

The circulation of such inflammatory false information highlights the challenges facing Bangladesh’s new administration as it attempts to navigate a complex political landscape following months of unrest. Social media platforms have become battlegrounds for competing narratives about the country’s past and present leadership.

Digital misinformation experts note that the fabrication of quotes from public figures is a common tactic used to inflame tensions during political transitions. Such manipulated content is particularly dangerous as it exploits genuine historical trauma from Bangladesh’s independence struggle to create divisive narratives.

The 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War remains a sensitive historical period in South Asian history, with documented atrocities committed by Pakistani forces. Fabricated statements that exploit this trauma for political purposes can reopen historical wounds and potentially damage regional relationships.

Media literacy advocates emphasize the importance of verifying information from official sources, particularly during periods of political change when misinformation tends to proliferate. This incident serves as a reminder of how easily digital media can be manipulated to create false impressions about public figures.

As Bangladesh continues its transition under the interim government, distinguishing between authentic and manipulated information remains crucial for citizens attempting to understand the complex political developments in their country.