Clashes frequently occur between the armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) and law enforcement agencies in the hill tracts, often impacting the Bom community. Against this backdrop, two images have recently been circulated on social media, accompanied by claims suggesting, “A hill fair is taking place in Dhaka! Meanwhile, this is happening to the Bom community in the hills!” The implication is that these images depict recent events involving the Bom people. One of the images shows a group of people in a forested or hilly area, while the other portrays several women in detention.

Fact-check

An investigation by the Rumor Scanner team reveals that the two images, circulated as recent depictions of the Bom community, are in fact old—one dating back to 2022 and the other to April 2024.

Verification of the First Image

The first image, shared with claims of being recent, was found in a report published on November 24, 2022, by the Indian news outlet The New Indian Express. The report states that due to clashes between the Bangladesh Army and the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), many hill people left their villages in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and sought refuge in Mizoram, India. The published image is described as showing displaced villagers who fled their homes. Additionally, the report includes a statement from an individual who left the hills for Mizoram in November 2022. This confirms that the circulated image is not recent but from 2022.

Verification of the Second Image

The second image, also claimed to be recent, was found in a report published on April 23, 2024, by the website Hill Voice. The report alleges that the military arrested innocent civilians, including women and children. It further claims that “in the name of suppressing KNF terrorists created by the Bangladesh Army, an innocent Bom student pursuing a BA (Honors) degree was shot dead in cold blood in Ruma, Bandarban.” The circulated image corresponds to that time. Additionally, the report accuses the military of spreading misinformation, but the veracity of these claims could not be confirmed.

However, another image taken from a different angle of the same arrest was found in a report published on April 22, 2024, by the news outlet Desh TV, under the headline, “Four Children in Prison with Their Mother.” This report describes the women in the image as individuals arrested by joint forces on suspicion of links to the armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in Ruma, Bandarban. It states, “Three women have been arrested during a joint forces operation in Ruma on suspicion of KNF involvement. They have been sent to prison following a court order. According to police sources, they were arrested from Girjapara, Ruma, at 9 PM on April 20, 2024, by members of the joint forces. After completing legal procedures at Ruma police station, they were transferred to Bandarban Sadar police station before being sent to prison by the court on April 22, 2024.” This confirms that the second circulated image is also not recent but from April 2024.

It is noteworthy that the Bom community began fleeing their homes in late 2022 due to fear and unrest caused by clashes between KNF and law enforcement agencies. At that time, reports from various international media outlets stated that around 500 members of the Bom community sought refuge in Mizoram, India. Some later returned with their families. In early April of the previous year, armed robbers attacked several banks in Ruma and Thanchi. Law enforcement agencies attributed these incidents to KNF militants, known in the hills as the "Bom Party." Following the robberies, joint forces launched anti-KNF operations, leading to widespread arrests and restrictions on movement and access to food, according to Bom community members. As a result, many Bom people once again left their homes.

Therefore, the circulation of these two old images from 2022 and 2024, with claims that they depict recent events involving the Bom community, is misleading.

Original News Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/old-photo-claimed-as-recent-bom-ethnic-group-photo/137427