At least five people have died in violence erupted in India’s West Bengal after state elections, but a clip circulating on social media of a stick-wielding crowd was not filmed in the country. The footage was in fact captured in neighbouring Bangladesh during protests that ousted the country’s then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
“There is a civil war-like situation in West Bengal today. Who is responsible for this?” says part of the Hindi-language caption of a Facebook video shared on May 8, 2026.
“BJP workers are killing TMC workers, and TMC workers are killing BJP workers. Wherever a Muslim is seen, he or she is abused, beaten, and mobbed,” it goes on to say, referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which ousted the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) party in local elections.
The 37-second video shows people leaning over bridge railings to watch a crowd converge at a location on the road below.
Screenshot of the false post captured on May 19, 2026, with a red X added by AFP
At least five people have been killed as violence erupted in West Bengal state after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP swept to power in local polls, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule (archived link).
Among those killed was a close aide of West Bengal’s newly elected Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The killing has added to political tensions in the state, with both parties trading accusations over the deaths since the results.
The clip was also shared in similar Facebook and Instagram posts, but it was not filmed in India.
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to a clearer version posted on Facebook on April 26 with a caption that reads: “What’s going on in Bangladesh?” (archived link)
The footage shows that some of the people in the crowd are carrying sticks, and appear to be beating a person and vandalising motorcycles.
Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (L) and the video posted on April 26, 2026
Md Ismail, the user who uploaded the video, told AFP on May 19 it was filmed during protests in 2024 that ousted Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
She was toppled by a student-led uprising, which culminated in August 2024 with the then prime minister fleeing to neighbouring India (archived link). At least 450 people were killed in more than a month of deadly protests that ended her autocratic rule.
“I took the video in the afternoon of that day when Sheikh Hasina resigned. But I have uploaded the video recently,” he said.
He also wrote in the post’s comments that he took the clip at the Jatrabari market in Dhaka.
The footage in the false post corresponds to the Google Street View imagery of the Jatrabari area in the Bangladeshi capital (archived link).
Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (L) and Google Street View Imagery from Dhaka, with matching elements highlighted by AFP
A keyword search found he uploaded a longer version of the video on May 9, 2026 with a caption that says: “Dhaka on victory day” (archived link).
The clip shows him riding on a motorcycle through a crowd of protesters before it leads to the scene in the false clip. A person can be seen carrying the Bangladeshi flag at the 1:54 mark.
AFP has previously debunked other false claims related to the West Bengal state elections.
