CRPF in action in poll-bound Bengal? Old video from Bangladesh shared falsely

A video purportedly from West Bengal is being widely shared on social media, showing security personnel dragging and assaulting young men. Several users have claimed that the footage captures action by the CRPF during the ongoing Assembly elections, with some going so far as to suggest it signals the onset of “Hindu Raj” in the state.

West Bengal is scheduled to go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and 29, with results to be declared on May 4, 2026.

Sharing the video, a Right-wing X handle, The Hindu Association (@HinduAsociation), wrote, “The atmosphere has changed with the entry of CRPF in Bengal. Goons are being dragged out and dealt with firmly. There will be no more talks. Direct action has begun. In Bengal, there will be no ‘Mian’ rule; only Hindu rule will prevail.”

बंगाल में CRPF की एंट्री से माहौल बदल गया

गुंडो को जमीन फाड़कर निकाला जा रहा है

अब बातचीत नहीं सीधा तगड़ा एक्शन शुरू

बंगाल में मियां राज नहीं सिर्फ हिंदू राज चलेगा 🔥✊ pic.twitter.com/mIzgLZ8Sei

— The Hindu Association (@HinduAsociation) April 7, 2026

Several X users amplified the claim, including some Right-wing influencers. They include Arun Yadav Kosli, Prabhakar Singh Parihar, Subhash Bajpai and Kavita.

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The video is also viral on Facebook in the context of the West Bengal assembly elections.

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Fact Check

When we performed a reverse image search on some key frames from the viral clip, we found the same footage uploaded to the Facebook page of NEWS 21 BANGLA TV, a media organization in Bangladesh. It was also uploaded on the Facebook page of NEWS 21 DIGITAL on January 11, 2026.

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The captions state that the video shows army personnel in action after roads are blocked in Panchagarh in protest against Osman Hadi’s killing. Panchagarh, about 400 km from Dhaka, is a town in northwestern Bangladesh. It is the administrative center of Panchagarh District. 

Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent youth leader from Dhaka, Bangladesh, was shot by two bike-borne men on December 12, 2025. He later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in Singapore. The killing sparked violent protests in several parts of Bangladesh.

This proves that the video is not from West Bengal.

A second video of the same incident was uploaded on January 11, 2026, by a Bangladeshi Facebook page, News Now Bangla. The post also identifies the footage as being from Panchagarh, stating that the army lathi-charged protesting students demanding justice for Osman Hadi’s murder, leaving at least 26 people injured.

During our investigation, we also came across a report published on January 11, 2026, by Bangladeshi media outlet dailylokaloy.com. According to the report, Fazle Rabbi, coordinator of the Panchagarh Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, “We were holding a pre-planned protest demanding the arrest and trial of Osman Hadi’s killers. We had announced the end of the event, but suddenly, army personnel attacked us and lathi-charged us. During this, 20–25 of our members were injured, and 23 of them, including me, are currently hospitalised. We want proper justice for this incident.”

Further in the report, Major Adnan Morshed Al Haq, commander of the Panchagarh army camp, was quoted as saying that since the Panchagarh – Dhaka National Highway had remained blocked for a prolonged period, army personnel attempted to clear the protesters from the road. He added that they had asked demonstrators to move to one side to restore normal traffic movement.

So, to sum up, the viral video is over two-month old and originates from Panchagarh in Bangladesh, where army personnel were seen clearing protesters demonstrating against the assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi. However, social media users are falsely sharing it as recent footage linked to the ongoing West Bengal assembly elections.