Why is Facebook flooded with reels featuring Bangla song ‘Aj Keno Mon Udashi Hoye’?

Facebook feeds have recently become flooded with videos featuring the song "Aj Keno Mon Udashi Hoye Dur Ojanay Chay Harate." People of all ages have been posting photographs or short videos of themselves alongwith the song on their Facebook profiles.

While searching for the reason of this video being viral it was found that, Beauty Rani Paul, head teacher of Pitaitikor Government Primary School in Fenchuganj, Sylhet, recently uploaded a Reel on her personal Facebook account using the song.

The lyrics are from "Sraboner Meghgulo Joro Holo Akashe", performed by Mejbah Rahman of the band Different Touch.

A Facebook page later reposted Beauty Rani Paul's video as misleading and in a negative context.

The repost triggered widespread trolling, with many users posting offensive remarks. Some individuals criticised the video and called for disciplinary action against her.

District Primary Education Officer Sakhawat Ershad said that the authorities would form an inquiry committee to determine whether the incident constituted a violation of the code of conduct for government employees.

Following the controversy, Beauty Rani Paul removed the video. As reports of the cyberbullying spread, many female teachers across Bangladesh began uploading their own photographs and videos using the same song on Facebook.

The posts quickly developed into a unique form of protest. In solidarity, countless women and men from different professions also started posting videos featuring the song on their own Facebook accounts.

Beauty Rani Paul expressed her gratitude for the support she received from people across the country.

"People distorted quite a normal and pleasant moment by presenting the video in a negative light, which subjected me to cyberbullying. Many people supported me and stood by me, and I am grateful to them," she told Prothom Alo.

Beauty completed both her Bachelor's (Honours) and Master's degrees in English at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. She joined the teaching profession in 2013.

She said that she primarily uses Facebook to upload educational videos suitable for her students.

On 23 July, after school hours, she recorded a video while walking around the school premises and uploaded it to Facebook as a reel with background music. Later, others shared her personal video without permission in a misleading context.

This year, Beauty Rani Paul received recognition as the Best Teacher at District Level. She enjoys an excellent reputation as a teacher in her local community and is popular among both students and parents.

Her Facebook account contains numerous videos showing joyful classroom teaching, physical exercise sessions for students, lessons that use dance to teach mathematical symbols and textbook content, as well as tree-planting activities and the distribution of saplings.

After the cyberbullying reached what she considered an intolerable level, Beauty Rani Paul filed a General Diary (GD) at Fenchuganj police station on Friday.

In the complaint, she alleged that a Facebook account named "Asif Ikbal Eron" had published misleading posts about her. She also alleged that a Facebook page called "Fenchuganjpratidin" published a news report using her name and reel video.

According to her complaint, the report presented the incident in a way that did not accurately reflect what had actually happened.

In the GD, Beauty Rani Paul further alleged that the circulation of a short video without its proper context had damaged her personal, social and professional reputation.

Prothom Alo made several telephone calls to Mohammad Lutfur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Fenchuganj police station, to seek his comments regarding the General Diary. However, he did not respond.

However, Fenchuganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Azizun Nahar told Prothom Alo that the teacher had filed a General Diary (GD) with the police, alleging cyberbullying.

The Facebook page "Fenchuganjpratidin" is operated by Asif Ikbal Eron, a Bangladeshi expatriate living in the United Kingdom. In a Facebook post, he described Beauty's video as an "obscene dance with inappropriate gestures."

Prothom Alo attempted to contact him via Facebook Messenger on Sunday night for comment, but he did not respond. Consequently, his remarks could not be obtained.

Mohammad Jahirul Haque, vice-chancellor of Metropolitan University, Sylhet, described it as unfortunate that a talented and creative teacher had been socially humiliated simply for uploading a reel.

He said the video contained nothing improper or indecent. Yet, according to him, a particular group has been spreading misinformation in an attempt to complicate the issue unnecessarily.

In solidarity with Beauty, many teachers across the country have recorded and uploaded videos of themselves walking around their schools or other suitable locations while using the song "Aj Keno Mon Udashi Hoye Dur Ojanay Chay Harate" as the background music.

Others have also joined the protest by posting similar videos on Facebook. Some users have expressed their support for Beauty Paul through written Facebook posts.

Those participating in the campaign argue that the original video uploaded by Beauty Rani Paul contained nothing obscene or unethical. They say that, under the guise of criticism, some individuals have spread hateful messages by targeting her gender, religion or identity.

They maintain that such behaviour is inappropriate. They also point out that, beyond her profession as a teacher, she has a personal life, and no one should deliberately portray any part of that life in a negative manner.

Khaled Hossain, a professor at Jahangirnagar University and a poet, posted a poem on Facebook in support of Beauty Rani Paul.

Another Facebook user, Enayet Kabir, shared one of Beauty Paul's videos and wrote, "Life is beautiful. This video, taken from the Facebook posts of Beauty Paul, this year's Best Teacher in Sylhet District, demonstrates her joyful approach to teaching. Her Facebook account contains many similar warm-up classroom sessions from the head teacher of a primary school in Fenchuganj. Recently, the government launched an investigation to determine whether she violated the code of conduct by posting a music reel recorded in her school compound. Shame. Stand by her. Let there be protest."

The education authorities will investigate whether Beauty Rani Paul violated the code of conduct for government employees by recording the reel within the school premises.

District Primary Education Officer Sakhawat Ershad told Prothom Alo on Monday morning that the authorities would form an inquiry committee for this purpose.

Several teachers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the education authorities should have stood by Beauty Rani Paul after her personal video was unfairly made viral.

They argued that, while the government actively encourages music, sports and other creative activities, establishing a committee to scrutinise the teacher's conduct sends the wrong message.

Meanwhile, during an official visit to Sylhet, Bobby Hajjaj, state minister for Primary and Mass Education, commented on the controversy surrounding the teacher's reel on Sunday afternoon.

Responding to a journalist's question, he said, "I have not watched the video. However, everyone I asked told me, 'A teacher recorded a video while singing a song, but it contains nothing obscene or inappropriate.' Whether others agree or not, I am not prepared to accept that singing a song is wrong."