After the formation of the interim government in Bangladesh, there have been reports that several members of minorities, including Hindus, have been forced to resign from their posts in various institutions in Bangladesh. In this context, a photo has surfaced on social media showing a woman tied to a tree, surrounded by schoolgirls. The photo is being widely shared, along with claims (here, here and here) that the woman is Geetanjali Barua, the principal of Azimpur Govt. Girls School & College, who was allegedly tied to the tree and forced to resign. Let us verify the claim in the post.
Claim: Geetanjali Barua, the principal of Azimpur Govt. Girls School & College, was tied to a tree in Dhaka, Bangladesh and forced to resign.
Fact: Geetanjali Barua, the principal of Azimpur Govt. Girls School & College, resigned after students agitated over allegations of corruption, leaked exam papers and mistreatment of students. However, the woman tied to the tree in the viral photo is neither Principal Geetanjali Barua nor one of the teachers of the institute. She claimed to be a former student of the college, but this was denied by the college administration. The protesting students tied her to a tree as she was obstructing them, but she was later rescued by security forces. Therefore, the claim made in the post MISLEADING.
An internet search using relevant keywords led us to several local media reports (here, here, here and here) covering this issue. According to these reports, on August 18, 2024, students at Azimpur Govt. Girls School & College in Dhaka, Bangladesh, demanded the resignation of the school’s principal Geetanjali Barua and several other staff members due to allegations of corruption, leaked exam questions and mistreatment of students. Images broadcast by local media show students entering the principal’s office and demanding her resignation, which she eventually submitted.
We then investigated the claim that the headmistress was tied to a tree but found no credible reports to support this claim. A closer look (here, here and here) at the viral photo from a different angle shows that the woman tied to the tree is not headmistress Geetanjali Barua. Below is a comparison between the woman tied to the tree and headmistress Geetanjali Barua.
Further research led us to a local media report (here) in which the woman in question claimed that she was a former student of the college and had come to the premises at the request of other students. However, the protesting students claimed that the woman was an outsider who had come along with others to attack them. The students then tied the woman to a tree. Eventually, security forces intervened and rescued her.
Furthermore, the college administration confirmed the viral images and stated (archive) that the woman in the video is neither Principal Geetanjali Barua nor a teacher at the college. It condemned this act of her students and also stated that there is no evidence to prove that she is a former student of the college. FACTLY has reached out to the relevant authorities to identify the woman in the viral video. This post will be updated once the necessary information is available.
In conclusion, while Geetanjali Barua, the principal of Azimpur Govt. Girls School & College, has been forced to resign, the woman tied to the tree is not Geetanjali Barua but an alleged outsider who claims to be a former student of the college.
