Video from Dhaka Falsely Shared as Bengal Police Action Against Mamata Supporters

A video circulating on social media falsely claiming to show West Bengal police attacking supporters of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been debunked as footage from neighboring Bangladesh.

The misleading clip, which shows police personnel beating a man with batons, has gained traction ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled for April 23 and 29. In these elections, voters will elect representatives to the state’s 294-member Legislative Assembly.

Several social media users shared the footage with inflammatory captions, including one that read, “Commandos are serving Mamata’s goons in Bengal. What would the public say? This scene brought peace to my heart.” The posts appeared designed to stoke political tensions in the already heated electoral environment of West Bengal.

However, a detailed investigation by NewsMeter revealed the video actually documents events in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka from early February 2024. The footage shows police confronting a pedestrian during protests, completely unrelated to Indian politics or the TMC party.

The verification process included a reverse image search of key frames from the video, which led to the original footage published by Dhaka-based media outlet ATN Bangla News on February 6. The caption on the original video clearly indicated it depicted police action during protests in Dhaka.

Further corroborating the video’s true origin, The Economic Times reported that on February 6, thousands of protesters attempted to storm the official residence of Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka. This incident occurred just six days before Bangladesh’s national elections, which were scheduled for February 12.

Forensic examination of the video revealed additional evidence confirming its location. A shop hoarding visible in the footage reads “Deko View Car Decoration” in Bengali script. This visual clue helped investigators pinpoint the exact location of the incident to 58, New Eskaton Road, Banglamotor, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.

The circulation of such misleading content comes at a particularly sensitive time in West Bengal, where political tensions typically run high during election seasons. The state has a history of political violence, making the spread of such misinformation potentially dangerous.

This incident highlights the growing challenge of election-related misinformation in India, where social media platforms have become battlegrounds for political narratives. With approximately 900 million eligible voters nationwide and high stakes in regional elections, the potential impact of viral misinformation remains a significant concern for electoral authorities and fact-checking organizations.

The West Bengal elections are particularly significant as they will determine whether Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, which has governed the state since 2011, will secure another term in office against challenges from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other opposition parties.

Media literacy experts warn that such misleading content is likely to increase as election dates approach, urging voters to verify information through multiple sources before accepting or sharing potentially divisive content on social media platforms.