Following the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, in the first week of April, Muslims have been protesting against the newly enacted law across the country, including in West Bengal (here, here, and here). According to news reports (here, here), on 11 April 2025, these protests turned violent in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, resulting in Violence and riots. Reports (here, here, and here) indicate that three people lost their lives in the violence: two Hindus, Chandan Das and Hargobind Das, were killed in a mob attack, while a Muslim man died in police firing. According to reports, hundreds of people (mostly Hindus) affected by the violence in Murshidabad district crossed the Bhagirathi River. They sought refuge in the adjoining Malda district (here, here, and here). On 12 April 2025, the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces to restore peace and order in the district (here).
Amid the ongoing unrest, a video (here, here and here) has gone viral on social media claiming that the army has arrested a few individuals and recovered weapons from them. It is being said that those arrested were involved in the recent attacks in West Bengal. Let’s find out the truth behind this viral claim.
Claim: The viral video shows the Indian Army arresting people involved in the recent West Bengal riots and recovering weapons from them.
Fact: The video is actually from a Bangladesh Army operation at Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur, Dhaka on October 2024. The soldiers in the video belong to the 46th Independent Brigade of the Bangladesh Army, as identified by their uniform insignia. News reports confirm that the incident took place in Bangladesh, not India. Hence, the claim is FALSE.
To verify the claim, we first closely examined the video and noticed a logo that read “Bangla Vision“—a popular news channel in Bangladesh. We then conducted a reverse image search, which led us to the same video uploaded on 29 October 2024 by Bangla Vision. The video’s title mentions that it shows a military operation conducted by the Bangladesh Army in the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka district. We also found several other videos (here and here) covering the same incident, all confirming that the event took place in Bangladesh, not India.
Further research led us to news reports (here, here, and here) from Bangladesh confirming that the viral video is from a raid conducted by the Bangladesh Army at Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. On 29 October 2024, seven individuals were arrested, and weapons, including two firearms, 20 bullets, and sharp tools, were recovered. In total, 74 people have been arrested in connection with ongoing criminal activities in the area. The ISPR stated that the operation was carried out under the interim government’s directive. Reports also highlight a sharp rise in violence and drug-related clashes in Mohammadpur following the fall of the Awami League government.
Additionally, a close examination of the insignia on the soldiers’ uniforms in the viral video confirms that they belong to the 46th Independent Brigade of the Bangladesh Army. Combined with the news reports and other verified details, it is evident that the video is from a military operation in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and has no connection to the recent unrest or riots in West Bengal.
To sum up, a video showing the Bangladesh Army arresting criminals has been falsely shared as footage from Murshidabad, West Bengal.
