Dhruv Rathee on Bangladesh: BJP trolls Youtuber over old video claiming 'Bangladesh is happier than India'

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has fled as the military takes control amid violent protests. In the chaos, Indian YouTuber Dhruv Rathee faces backlash for an old video praising Bangladesh's happiness ranking, now mocked by BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala. Rathee defends the video as a reflection of past data, not current events.

Vinaykumar Patil

First Published Aug 7, 2024, 12:50 PM IST | Last Updated Aug 7, 2024, 12:50 PM IST

Following the unrest in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has fled the country as the army takes control amidst widespread protests and violence. The situation escalated quickly, with Hasina's resignation following orders from the military and violent unrest leading to the ransacking of her residence.

During this chaos, Indian YouTuber Dhruv Rathee has found himself at the centre of controversy. The BJP has trolled Rathee over an old video in which he praised a report listing the happiest countries of 2024. The report ranked Bangladesh as happier than India, which sparked significant debate.

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Rathee’s video made earlier based on the 2024 happiness report, highlighted Bangladesh's superior ranking compared to India. This report has since been a point of contention, especially with the current turmoil in Bangladesh. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala shared Rathee's video, mocking it in light of the current political unrest. Poonawala's post led to Rathee being labelled as the "Joker of the Century."

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In response, Rathee defended himself, stating that the video was produced using data available at the time and did not account for the current crisis. He emphasized that the video was an honest reflection of the report’s findings and not intended to mislead or compare with the present situation.

Supporters of Rathee have rallied to his defence, arguing that using an old video to critique his statements is unfair given the rapidly changing circumstances. They stress that the video was a factual representation of the data from that period and should not be conflated with current events.