A viral video showing an E-Rickshaw being crushed by a bulldozer while the driver pleads helplessly is being widely shared with the claim that the incident took place in Uttar Pradesh. Propagandist accounts are using the video to accuse the UP government of going easy on the rich while coming down unfairly on poor people. However, a fact-check reveals that the video is actually from an operation carried out by Dhaka North City Corporation in Bangladesh, not Uttar Pradesh.
But Influencer account @NazneenAkhtar23 posted this clip with different story:
Municipal Corporation PWD employees broke a poor man’s rickshaw After all, what was the fault of this boy that his rickshaw was broken? Nobody can give a bicycle to a poor person, so nobody has the right to harm a poor person. What do these big people know about the helplessness and suffering of the poor, try putting yourself in their place sometime
नगर निगम P W D वालों ने गरीब का रिक्शा तोड़ा
— Adv.Nazneen Akhtar (@NazneenAkhtar23) May 21, 2025
आखिर इस लड़के का क्या कसूर था?जो इसका रिक्शा तोड़ा गया।
किसी गरीब को एक साइकिल तो कोई दे नहीं सकता,तो किसी को कोई हक नहीं पहुंचता कि किसी गरीब का नुकसान करे
गरीब की बेबसी और तकलीफ ये बड़े लोग क्या जाने,कभी इनकी जगह खुद को रखकर देखे pic.twitter.com/2NmudMhLd5
another account @tvkvijay_4tn, stating in Tamil:
“Heartbreaking to watch! 😭😭😭
Is poverty a crime? 🤬🤬🤬
Officials in Uttar Pradesh crush a battery rickshaw just because it was on a main road.
What did you do, Mr. Modi, about BMW and Audi drivers who caused accidents under the influence?”
பாக்கும் போது அழுகை வருகிறது!😭😭😭
— தமிழச்சி TVK (@tvkvijay_4tn) May 18, 2025
ஏழை என்றால் இலக்காரமா? 🤬🤬🤬
உத்திர பிரதேசத்தில் பேட்டரி வண்டி முக்கிய சாலையில் போக அனுமதி இல்லை என்று சொல்லி அந்த வண்டியை நொறுக்கும் அதிகாரிகள்!
குடித்து விட்டு கார் ஓட்டி விபத்து ஏற்படுத்திய BMW, AADI CAR வாகனம் என்ன செய்தீர்கள் Mr Modi?… pic.twitter.com/ONcgSV7YMs
Other Influencer account @Muni_Thoughts, also shared the clip with similar misleading captions, online on X (formerly Twitter).
Truth Behind Viral E-Rickshaw Bulldozer Video: It’s from Dhaka, Not Uttar Pradesh
As soon as the posts containing the video and claims came to our notice, D-Intent data team conducted research and analysis of the video. We conducted a reverse image search of some keyframes from the viral video that led us to a YouTube video containing the same incident on the CN News segment that documented Dhaka North City Corporation’s operation on Mirpur Road, which was recorded on 14 May 2025. Several unauthorized e-rickshaws were confiscated and some were destroyed using heavy equipment. Officials later clarified that only a few were symbolically crushed to enforce the law and that a compensation and licensing plan is being worked on.
The video is not from Uttar Pradesh or anywhere in India. It’s actually from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and shows a crackdown by local authorities on battery-powered rickshaws operating illegally on main roads. The video was shared with false claims linking it to Uttar Pradesh starting 18 May, 2025.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) May 19, 2025
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video showing a rickshaw being crushed by a bulldozer while the driver pleads to save his vehicle is being shared with the claim that it is from Uttar Pradesh, India. However, according to reports, the video is actually from Bangladesh. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/sSVqmFu17d
INTENT:
Influencers are circulating videos from Bangladesh with misleading claims to set their narrative against the UP government & administration.
Conclusion:
Claim: A bulldozer crushed a battery rickshaw in Uttar Pradesh while the driver pleaded, targeting the poor unfairly.
Fact: The video is from Dhaka, Bangladesh, recorded on 14 May during a crackdown on illegal e-rickshaws. It began circulating in India with false claims from 18 May.
Related Article: Fact Check: Disturbing Footage of Land Dispute in Gazipur, Bangladesh, Shared with False Communal Narratives – D-Intent Data
