On February 5, protests erupted at the historic residence of Bangladesh’s first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, located at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka, following the announcement of a broadcast featuring ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s speech. The demonstration escalated into vandalism and arson, leading to the destruction of the house using an excavator. Amidst this, an image claiming the discovery of a 300-year-old Shiva Linga from the site began circulating on social media.
Fact-Check
An investigation by the Rumor Scanner team found that the claim regarding the discovery of a 300-year-old Shiva Linga in the demolished house at Dhanmondi 32 is baseless. The image being shared to support the claim is actually a photograph of a Shiva Linga from a temple in Andhra Pradesh, India, and has been disseminated without any credible evidence or verification.
A reverse image search traced the exact image to a post published on May 8, 2020, by an X (formerly Twitter) account named "Bharat Temples 🇮🇳." According to the caption, the image depicts the Shiva Linga at the Gudimallam Parashurameshwara Temple in Andhra Pradesh, India. Additionally, a report by the Indian news portal India.com, published on November 7, 2023, mentions the same information.
Another report by the Indian news outlet The Print in 2023 stated that the Shiva Linga at Gudimallam Parashurameshwara Temple, located in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, is one of the oldest in the world. Standing approximately 1.5 meters tall, its age remains a subject of debate among historians, with estimates ranging from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE. Furthermore, reports by mainstream media covering the vandalism at Dhanmondi 32 noted that various objects from the house were taken by those present. However, none of these reports provided any evidence or mention of a 300-year-old Shiva Linga being discovered at the site.
Therefore, the claim that a 300-year-old Shiva Linga was found in the demolished residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32 is entirely false.
Source: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/fake-claim-shivling-found-dhanmondi-32/137985
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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.