Misrepresented Video Claims to Show Dhaka Crime Surge, Actually from India
Claims circulating online falsely portray an old video as depicting citizens confronting criminals amidst escalating crime rates in Dhaka. While Dhaka police confirm a doubling of robberies in the past year, the video in question was verifiably recorded in Bihar, eastern India, in July 2024.
False Social Media Post
A Bengali Facebook post, dated February 8, 2025, falsely asserted, “Started again in Gazipur. Fight between common people and robbers. Stand up Bangladesh. Everyone, please pray.”
The post featured a video clip of two groups engaged in combat with sticks, accumulating over 22,000 views and fueling concerns about Dhaka crime.
Bangladesh Crime Concerns and Misinformation
Bangladesh has faced challenges in managing crime, particularly after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s removal from power in August 2024 following widespread protests against her governance.
In response to perceived police inadequacy, the government reportedly extended the authority of army officials to maintain order.
This specific video clip was also shared on other Facebook platforms with similar inaccurate claims about crime in Bangladesh.
Video Origin Traced to India
However, reverse image searches of keyframes from the video revealed its original upload to YouTube on July 18, 2024 – preceding Hasina’s ousting.
The footage, rotated in the misleading posts, includes a caption identifying its location as Bastwara, a village in Bihar, India, and connecting it to the Islamic month of Muharram. This clearly indicates the video is not related to Dhaka crime.
The same YouTube user had also uploaded another video of the same event from a different perspective a day earlier, further confirming the Indian origin.
Geographic verification using Google Street View imagery further substantiates the video’s Indian location and disproves its connection to Bangladesh crime levels.
Prior Debunking of False Bangladesh Crime Videos
This incident is not isolated; AFP has previously debunked other videos falsely associated with crime incidents in Bangladesh, highlighting a trend of misinformation regarding crime in Dhaka and the region.