Durga puja holds profound religious and social significance as a major Hindu festival in Bangladesh. However, in 2021, this sacred festival was marred by a series of communal violence across the country originating from a Facebook live video. The video accused the Hindus of defaming Islam. During this distressing event, the dissemination of online conspiracy theories and hate speech against Hindus played a crucial role in spreading violence.
This study seeks to delve into the complex dynamics of Facebook conspiracy theories and hate speech during the aforementioned attacks. It aims to understand the mechanisms through which Facebook conspiracy theories and hate speech contributed to the instigation and justification of violence against the Hindu community.
Data for this study were collected from an anonymous Facebook group. Theoretical concepts such as communalism, epistemic crisis, online echo chambers, filter bubbles, and attention factory have been used to understand the Facebook group members’ engagement with conspiracy theories and hate speech. The qualitative analysis of data reveals three major discourses: discourses of communal hate, discourses of the source of violence, and discourses of rationalizing violence. The study further examines the contribution of Facebook’s algorithm to cultivating conspiracy theories and hate speech and propagating violence.
