Fact Check: Malda violence, arson caught on camera? No, video is from Bangladesh

Hyderabad: On March 27, communal tension erupted in Malda, West Bengal, as a mob vandalised shops and vehicles, prompting police intervention. Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition, called the situation a ‘complete state of lawlessness’ and urged governor CV Ananda Bose to deploy paramilitary forces to restore order.

A video showing a mob committing arson and setting vehicles on fire is being circulated, linking it to the mob violence in Mada, West Bengal.

A screenshot of an X user who posted the video was shared on Facebook. The caption read, “As Mamata is in UK, horrific video showing radical mob on a rampage, attacking Hindu shops and burning properties in Malda’s Mothabari dist of WB has gone viral on SM. (sic)”

Another Facebook user shared the video with a communally charged, satirical caption: “After ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ (Modi’s gift), now comes ‘Saugat-e-Muslim’ (Muslim return gift) in Malda, West Bengal. It is said that a certain peaceful community, pleased with Modi’s gift, has given a strong return gift to Hindus in Malda. In celebration of Saugat-e-Modi, Muslims in Malda supposedly rejoice by forgetting hatred and celebrating Diwali in Hindu localities. Congratulations, Modi Ji.”

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false, as the video is from Bangladesh.

A reverse image search of the video’s keyframes led to an extended version published by a Bangladesh-based media outlet, Prothom Alo, on November 27, 2023. The Bengali caption indicated that the footage depicted a torch rally and vehicle vandalism in support of a blockade in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Following this lead, we conducted a keyword search and found a Daily Sylhet Mirror report from November 27, 2023, featuring a screenshot from the video.

According to the report, a torch rally in Sylhet’s Subidbazar area, held during a 48-hour blockade called by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and allied groups, turned violent. Protesters vandalised vehicles and set fire to rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and an ambulance, causing panic among locals.

According to a Dhaka Tribune report from November 26, 2023, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allied groups staged blockades in six phases to pressure the ruling Awami League government to resign and hold the next general election under a non-partisan administration. The report also noted that the blockade was marked by incidents of arson and violence, though public participation in the street protests remained low.

We also found a clarification from the official X handle of the West Bengal Police on March 28, 2025. The post stated that the viral video shows events from November 2023 in Sylhet, Bangladesh, and has no connection to the incident in Malda. It further stated that the situation in Malda is currently under control.

Therefore, we conclude that the video does not show arson and violence in Malda, West Bengal. The claim is false.