Old video from Bangladesh passed off as Muslims attacking the police in West Bengal

By: Rahul Adhikari
June 15 2023

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Context

A video has been circulating on social media claiming to show an attack on a police convoy in West Bengal by people of the Muslim community. Several people on Facebook and Twitter shared the video, alleging that Muslims attacked the convoy while an injured Lashkar (Lashkar-e-Taiba) militant was being transported. The video shows a large crowd armed with sticks surrounding a police convoy and shouting slogans. In the back of one of the vehicles, a uniformed man can be seen lying on a stretcher. A post sharing the video was captioned (originally in Hindi): “While the vehicles were transporting the injured Lashkar jawan in Bengal, they were surrounded and stopped by Muslims. This is the situation when the numbers of Lashkar members increase. In what dream are you, Hindus? Look at the foolish Hindus. This time will come for you.”

In Fact

A reverse image search revealed that the viral dates back to 2021 and captures an incident from Bangladesh.

A user from Bangladesh had shared the video on Facebook on March 30, 2021, claiming that it showed Hefazet-e Islam(a far-right Islamic organization) cadres attacking a military convoy. The caption of the post, written in Bengali, read: “A brutal attack by Hefajat terrorists took place on the patriotic army personnel while they were in custody. A sick army man was being transported in an ambulance to CMH, but they were not allowed to proceed despite presenting the medical report. Is this what they call humanity?” Several Bangladeshi users shared the same post in 2021.

On observing the video closely, we noticed that the number plate of a vehicle seen in the viral video is in Bengali. Vehicle number plates in India are written in English, and the format differs from what is shown in the video. In India, vehicle number plates begin with a state code, and for West Bengal, the code is WB. However, the number plate of the vehicle also doesn’t mention any state code. This suggests that the video is most likely not from India.

Moreover, the Army officials inside the first vehicle are seen wearing the insignia of the Bangladeshi Army. According to the Bangladesh Army website, the badge of the nation's Army features two swords arranged in an X shape, with a lotus-shaped emblem positioned at the top center of the two swords. This is similar to the red logo seen on the sleeves of the Army personnel and the green one on the ambulance and the second vehicle in the convoy.

We also noticed that the word "AMC" was written on the badges of the Army personnel in the ambulance, which likely refers to the Bangladesh Army Medical Corps (AMC).

The video had also gone viral in 2021 with similar claims. The Quint's WebQoof had determined that the video originated from Hathazari, Bangladesh. They discovered a live video of the incident that was clearer and observed a sign displaying the text "আল হেরা তাহফিজুল কুরআন ইসলামি একাডেমী" (Translation: "Al Hera Tahfizul Quran Islamic Academy"). The same signboard can also be seen in the viral video. The academy is situated on Rangamati Road in Isapur, Fayzia Bazar in Hathazari, according to its Facebook page.

In March 2021, protests took place in several parts of Chattogram, including Hathazari, over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh. According to a BBC report dated March 26, 2021, protests erupted in Chattogram and Brahmanbaria, and police clashed with the protestors, resulting in five injuries. Reuters reported that four people died in the Chattogram area during clashes between police and protestors over Modi's visit to Bangladesh. Local reports indicate that Hefazat supporters had blocked roads in protest against the visit.

The Verdict

A video from Bangladesh has been maliciously shared with the claim that it shows Muslims attacking a police convoy in West Bengal. The viral video was likely captured in March 2021, during protests in Bangladesh over PM Modi's visit to the country. Therefore, we mark this claim false.