Did Hafez Takrem really finish third among 111 countries?

Last Wednesday, the names of the winners in the 42nd King Abdulaziz International Hifzul Quran Competition were announced in a colourful ceremony at the Holy Mosque in Makkah Al Mukarramah, Saudi Arabia.

Following the announcement, it was reported in some sections of the Bangladeshi media, including leading newspapers and most of the television channels, that Bangladesh’s Hafez Saleh Ahmad Takrem finished third in the competition out of 111 countries.

On his return to Bangladesh at 2.15am on Thursday, 13-year-old Takrem was received at the airport by the senior public relations officer of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Md. Anwar Hossain, on behalf of Minister Faridul Haque Khan.

There were even calls for according him an open-rooftop celebration in the style granted to the women’s football team that had deservingly returned to such a welcome after winning the 6th SAFF Championship.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs along with the Islamic Foundation is planning a reception for him next Tuesday at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

But did Takrem really finish third in the competition? Fact-checkers and netizens on social media have brought the news into question, and UNB too has found serious gaps in the claims being made.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs has published the list of winners on its Twitter profile. From there we find that the 153 competitors from 111 countries were all not part of the same competition - or rather, the same challenge. They were divided into five different categories based on levels of difficulty.