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 unrest, a video went viral on social media showing houses collapsing and properties being set on fire by a crowd, with the claim that it is from a recent attack in West Bengal. Let’s find out the truth behind this video.
Claim: The video shows Muslims burning down Hindu houses and properties in West Bengal.
Fact: The viral video is not from West Bengal but from Kayenkola village in Dogachi Union, Pabna district, Bangladesh, where a Muslim place of worship was attacked and vandalised on 22 March 2025 over allegations of indecent activities. While it is true that Hindu houses were vandalised during the April 2025 violence in Murshidabad, West Bengal, this video is unrelated to those events. Hence, the claim is MISLEADING.
To verify the truth, we performed a reverse image search on keyframes from the viral video and found that it was shared on Facebook by a Bangladeshi user named Jannat Prioty on 25 March 2025 (archived link). The caption of the post stated that the Kayenkola Peer residence in Dogachi Union had been demolished. Dogachi Union is located in Pabna Sadar Upazila of Pabna District, Bangladesh.
An internet search using relevant keywords led us to multiple news reports from Bangladeshi media, published on 23 March 2025 (here and here). According to these reports, on 22 March 2025, a Muslim place of worship was vandalised and set on fire in Kayenkola village, Dogachi Union, Pabna Sadar Upazila, Pabna District, Bangladesh. The incident was reportedly triggered by allegations of indecent activities taking place at the site. The reports state that a man named Dilawar Hussain Sayeed, who had declared himself a monk, had built a prayer hall in his home. He was accused of sharing obscene content and running a drug trade under the guise of religious practice. Despite repeated warnings from both villagers and the police to shut down the prayer hall, violence broke out when he refused to comply.
Additionally, news reports indicate that during the riots over the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, several houses belonging to Hindu families were vandalised and destroyed in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, in April 2025 (here and here). However, the viral video has no connection with these incidents.
To sum up, the video showing houses being attacked and vandalised is from Pabna district in Bangladesh, not West Bengal.
