Bangladesh’s clip is wrongly described as protests in India about controversial bills
West Bengal, India, launched a deadly protest against a controversial Muslim land bill in April, but videos allegedly showed Muslims robbing Hindu property amid violence, which comes from neighboring Bangladesh. AFP traced it back to a February news report that was sabotaged the office of the party of the ousted leader Sheikh Hasina.
The video’s misrepresentation was shared on Facebook on April 16, 2025, with several clips that destroyed the building and then caught fire.
“See beautiful photos of brotherhood in West Bengal,” reads the post’s satirical Hindi title.
“How did Allah’s devout servants peacefully protest the WAQF bill by breaking the Hindus’ houses, catching fire, robbing their property, and raping their daughter.”
Screenshot of fake post, taken on April 22, 2025
India deployed troops to videotape on Facebook and X after West Bengal’s deadly protests against the WAQF bill, which modified how to manage Muslim-owned property.
Police told AFP that three people, including one child, were killed, and 118 others were arrested for violence (archive link).
According to the dominant Indian nationalist government, the legislation will increase transparency in land management by holding a responsible and powerful WAQF board, which controls property donated by Muslim charitable donations.
The opposition called the bill a “attack” against the polarization of Indian Muslim minorities and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party of trying to win favor with a right-wing Hindu base.
However, the video has nothing to do with the protests in West Bengal.
The logo of Bangladesh news media DBC News can be seen in its upper left corner. Keyword search on YouTube Discovery Broadcasting Corporation released a clip (archive link) on February 25, 2025.
The Bangladeshi champion of the video said: “The office of the Awami League was destroyed and caught fire.” He refers to the party of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was launched in August 2024 after a student-led revolution.
Comparison of screenshots of fake post videos (L) and DBC news videos
Other reports about the attack have similar visual effects (here, here and here archive).
AFP confirmed the location of the wrongly shared footage (archive link) by comparing its visuals with Google Maps Street Imager at the Chapainawabganj Party Office in northwestern Bangladesh.
Comparison of screenshots of fake post videos (L) and Google Street View images
A district police station in West Bengal warned social media users not to share misinformation after false claims spread.
It said in a statement on Facebook: “Essential legal action for those who try to distract the general public from the public, as well as stamped “fake news” (archive link).
AFP has previously debunked the errors linked to the WAQF Act here and here to share visual effects.
