According to reports (here, here, and here), communal tension took a violent turn in the Mothabari area of Malda district in West Bengal on 27 March 2024. Amid this, a video (here, here, and here) showing a mob vandalising streets and setting fire to vehicles is going viral on social media platforms, claiming that it shows recent violence that took place in Malda, West Bengal. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video shows the violence that occurred in Malda, West Bengal, on 27 March 2025.
Fact: This viral video has no connection to the recent violence in Malda, West Bengal. It shows vandalism that took place in the city of Sylhet, Bangladesh, on the night of 26 November 2023 during a protest organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). According to reports, communal tension took a violent turn in the Mothabari area of Malda district in West Bengal on 27 March 2024. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
To learn more about this viral video, we conducted a Google reverse image search using keyframes from the video. This search led us to an extended version (archived) of the viral video published by the Bangladeshi media outlet ‘Prothom Alo’ on YouTube on 27 November 2023. According to the video’s description, it is from Sylhet, a city in Bangladesh.
Comparison between the viral video and the Bangladesh News report video can be seen below.
Following this, we conducted a Google keyword search and found a news report published on 26 November 2023. According to this report, the video shows a torchlight procession held by BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) in Sylhet in support of the blockade. The report further stated that several vehicles were vandalised and set on fire during the march. The incident took place in the Subid Bazar area at around 7 PM on 26 November 2023.
Taking this cue, we then geolocated the location seen in the viral video using Google Maps. A comparison between the viral video and the location on Google Maps can be seen below.
Furthermore, we also found a clarification post made by the West Bengal Police regarding this viral video. Responding to the viral video on X (formerly Twitter), the West Bengal Police stated that the video shows an incident that occurred in November 2023 in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh and has no connection to the violence that took place in Malda on 27 March 2023. The clarification post reads: “The attached video of arson and vandalism is being circulated on social media from certain quarters as an incident of Malda district. This claim is completely FAKE. This video captures events of November 2023 in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh and has no connection whatsoever with yesterday’s incident in Malda.” From all this information, it is evident that the viral video is from Bangladesh, not from West Bengal.
To sum it up, a 2023 vandalism video from Bangladesh is being shared as if it is related to the recent violence in Malda, West Bengal.
