Faridpur Protest Video Falsely Shared as Demonstration by “Illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingya” in West Bengal
According to the announcement of India’s Election Commission, the process of ‘Intensive Revision’ of the voter list, widely known as SIR (Special Intensive Revision), began in 12 states and Union Territories of the country on October 28. As part of this, the Intensive Revision of the Voters’ List program also started in West Bengal on November 4. It is known that there is an apprehension that the names of many people may be dropped from the voter list if they fail to show necessary documents in this process. Central leaders of the ruling BJP have been claiming that many alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators have managed to get their names included in the voter lists in some states like West Bengal. With ‘Intensive Revision’, ‘illegal Bangladeshis’ and ‘Rohingyas’ will be excluded. In this context, a video has recently been circulated on various internet platforms with the caption: ‘See how they have come out against SIR(Special Intensive Revision of Voters’ List) in West Bengal. Illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas must be deported.’
The caption of the circulated video claims that after the start of SIR (Special Intensive Revision), the special and intensive revision of the voter list before the assembly elections in India, illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants residing in India are protesting against SIR in West Bengal.
See the posts circulated on X with the same claim here (Archive), here (Archive), here (Archive).
See the post circulated on Facebook with the same claim here (Archive).
See the post circulated on Instagram with the same claim here (Archive).
Fact Check
Rumor Scanner team’s investigation reveals that the circulated video is not a scene of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants protesting against India’s voter list revision process in West Bengal. In fact, the video of a protest by local residents against the electoral boundary realignment in Bhanga Upazila of Faridpur District, Bangladesh, has been circulated with the aforementioned claim.
At the beginning of the investigation on this matter, the video in question was observed, showing people of various ages raising slogans with brooms, sticks, shoe garlands, bamboo, and other items in their hands. Slogans heard on the microphone include: ‘My land, my mother, it won’t be Nagarkanda; The struggle of Algi residents, is ongoing and will continue; The struggle of Hamirdi residents, is ongoing and will continue.’
Following this information, it is known that there is an Upazila (sub-district) named Hamirdi and Nagarkanda in Faridpur district of Bangladesh, and two Unions named Algi and Hamirdi in Bhanga Upazila of the same district.
Based on the above information, a video similar to the one in discussion was found published on a Facebook profile named Biplob Biplob on September 15.
The caption of that video mentioned ‘Today’s protest video footage’, without clearly stating where and what movement it was.
To confirm the matter, Rumor Scanner contacted Mr. Biplob. He confirmed that the video is an image of the local residents’ protest against the decision to realign two parliamentary seats in Faridpur, Bangladesh: Faridpur-4 and Faridpur-2. Regarding the location of the protest march, he stated that it took place on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway, on the road going towards Bhanga Upazila, in front of Mansurabad High School in Hamirdi Union, on the Dhaka-Gopalganj section.
Through Geo-location analysis with the help of Google Maps, it is confirmed that the video circulated with the discussed claim was recorded on the road going towards Bhanga Upazila, in front of Mansurabad High School in Hamirdi Union, on the Dhaka-Gopalganj Highway.
It is worth noting that locals expressed their anger over the decision to realign two parliamentary seats in Faridpur, Faridpur-4 and Faridpur-2, and staged road and railway blockades from September 14 to 16.
Moreover, the Election Commission of India announced the second phase of the SIR process on October 27. Any protest against it should have occurred on or after that date.
That is, the video published with the claim of a protest by illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants against the SIR process in West Bengal has been available on the internet since September 15, which is before the announcement of the SIR process in India.
Therefore, the video of a local protest in Faridpur against the decision to realign parliamentary seats has been circulated as a scene of a protest by illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas against SIR in India; which is false.
Sources
- Biplob Biplob – Facebook Post
- Statement of Mr. Biplob
- Google Map – Location