A video showing individuals carrying weapons in a hilly region has been circulated with claims that it depicts Indigenous people carrying weapons amid the recent violence in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts. However, D-Intent Data has found that this was an old video that has been available online since at least July 17, 2024. It was originally posted by a Facebook account based in India
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter) propaganda account @NilimaNehaa from Bangladesh wrote. I am surprised to see the cry of many people for Paharis, they are basically the fault of the fascists. They are Indian brokers, they are trying to make Chittagong Hill Tracts a separate state. The last fascist government has made their journey much easier by removing 200+ army camps, on the advice of their master India. (Translated from Bengali)
Several other users, influencers and propagandists have also disseminated the same video and made similar claims. Their posts can be seen here, @YearOfTheKraken, @hossain_imam_bd, @Nazrulisla98367
The truth about the video, Fact Check
As soon as the posts containing the video and claims came to our notice. Subsequently, we conducted research and analysis of the video. And found that the video was not related to the violence in Chittagong Hill Tracts. But an old video from a different location.
To verify the claims made by the users. We performed a reverse image search of some key frames from the viral video on Google Lens. This led us to a Facebook post containing the same video uploaded on July 17, 2024. Upon visiting the Facebook account profile (Sambor Rongpi) it has been revealed that the accused is based in India. Also, there are multiple videos (1, 2, 3) available on the timeline of the account claiming to be of training sessions. However, the exact date and location of the video have not been verified but it is clear that the video was not from the ongoing ethnic violence in Bangladesh.
Additionally, it is important to note that there are multiple reports (1, 2) of attacks on minorities (indigenous Chakma) in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts bordering India and Myanmar.
Therefore, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the video depicting some people carrying weapons was not related to the recent violence in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts. But an old video from different locations.
Intent
Influencers and propagandists are circulating old videos from different locations. Making misleading claims to set their narrative against indigenous people in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh.
Conclusion
Claim – The viral video depicts indigenous people carrying modern weapons during the recent violence in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Fact– The video was posted by a Facebook account on 17 July 2024, it was unrelated to the recent violence in Bangladesh.
Related Article: Fact Check: An old video of an explosion from Lebanon circulated as a recent – D-Intent Data (dintentdata.com)
