Fact Check: Video from Bangladesh passed off as Muslims vandalizing toll plaza in India

Social media users are sharing a video showing a pick-up lorry filled with men wearing Kurta Pajamas and Muslim skull caps at a toll plaza. A verbal altercation ensues between the men and toll employees. Later one of them vandalizes the barricade. Users claim that the video is from India and allege that the men were not in the mood to pay the fee.

An X user shared the video and wrote, “Will Muslims now be charged toll tax in India? Is this your idea of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,' @narendramodi ji? The central government and @nitin_gadkari's ministry should launch a 'Prime Minister's Scheme for Toll Exemption for Muslims'!” (Archive)

A Facebook user taking an indirect jibe at Muslim demography shared the video and wrote, “Demography is Destiny! Poor toll booth guy doesn't understand that skull cap is the toll-free pass provided by the Secular government. We are heading to Gazva E Hind..…”

Fact Check

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

Upon conducting a reverse image search of the video’s keyframes, we found a report by Dhaka Tribune published on September 18, which carried a screengrab from the video.

According to the report, the incident occurred on September 18 at the Kuril toll plaza on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway. Speaking to the news outlet, AHM Akhtar, the project director of the Elevated Expressway, explained that pickup vans, motorcycles, CNGs, and rickshaws are prohibited from using the expressway due to safety concerns, as they could cause accidents. However, when stopped, the individuals in the pickup van refused to comply with this regulation and vandalized the toll barricade.

Several Bangladeshi media outlets, including Prothom Alo, Daily Naya Diganta, and Zoom Bangla News, reported on September 18-19 that the incident took place on September 18 at the Kuril toll plaza on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway. According to the reports, the pickup van was stopped due to safety concerns, as the passengers were standing and carrying more passengers than its capacity allowed.

Jamuna TV and Daily Ittefaq published a video of the incident on September 18, reporting that it took place at Dhaka’s Kuril Plaza on the Elevated Expressway.

Hence, we conclude that the incident did not occur in India. The claim is false.