A video of the demolition of illegal battery-run rickshaws by DNCC in Bangladesh is falsely shared, attributing it to India
A video going viral on social media (here, here, and here) shows a bulldozer demolishing a rickshaw, while a visibly distressed rickshaw driver cries and tries to save it. The video is being shared with the claim that officials from the Delhi Municipal Corporation and PWD destroyed the poor man’s rickshaw. The same video is also being circulated with claims linking it to other cities in India (here). Let’s verify the claim made in the post through this article.
Claim: The video shows a bulldozer, operated by the Delhi Municipal Corporation and PWD, demolishing a rickshaw as a visibly distressed rickshaw driver cries and tries to save it.
Fact: The viral video does not show a demolition carried out by Delhi local municipal authorities. Instead, it depicts a Dhaka North City Corporation operation in Bangladesh targeting illegal battery-run rickshaws. This incident took place in Dhaka, and the affected drivers received compensation following public outcry. The video is unrelated to India. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
We conducted an internet search using relevant keywords to verify the viral claim. We learned that in May 2025, multiple anti-encroachment drives took place across Delhi. At Sarojini Nagar Market, NDMC and Delhi Police demolished around 200 illegal structures in a late-night operation, prompting protests from traders who claimed no notice was given. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court criticised the PWD for arbitrarily removing encroachments in Chandni Chowk without following legal procedures. In Okhla’s Jamia Nagar, residents received demolition notices for allegedly occupying land owned by the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department. Additionally, the Supreme Court directed state governments to deploy patrol teams to prevent encroachments along national highways.
However, no credible reports confirm that the Delhi Municipal Corporation or PWD recently damaged a rickshaw, either in Delhi or elsewhere in India.
We observed that a police officer in the viral video is wearing a teal green uniform, which is distinctive of the Bangladesh Police (here, here, here). Upon comparing the police uniform in the video with that of the Bangladesh Police, we found them to be identical. The comparison is shown below.
We then conducted a Google search using relevant Bangla keywords and found that Bangladeshi media outlet Dhaka Tribune had published the same visuals on its official YouTube channel. The video, uploaded on 13 May 2025, was titled “Autorickshaw crushed in front of driver’s eyes,” confirming that the incident took place in Bangladesh, not in India. Dhaka Tribune also posted another video from the same incident, featuring the same rickshaw driver, on its official Facebook page on the same day.
According to reports (here, here, here, and here), the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) carried out a drive in the capital to remove illegal battery-run rickshaws from main roads. During the operation, autorickshaws belonging to three drivers were demolished as a penalty for operating on restricted roads.
Following public backlash and media reports highlighting the distress of the affected drivers, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Mohammad Ejaz announced financial assistance. He handed over compensation to three rickshaw pullers, including the same driver who was seen crying in the viral video, as shown in a photograph from the report.
To sum up, this viral video originates from Bangladesh and is not related to any demolition by Delhi authorities or any other Indian city.