Video of Muslim gathering in Pakistan falsely shared as Bangladesh 'mini-hajj'

Published on February 9, 2025 at 10:04
3 min read
By Eyamin SAJID, AFP Bangladesh

Millions are expected to attend the annual Ijtema in Bangladesh -- considered the world's second biggest Muslim gathering after the hajj in Mecca -- which runs in two phases in January and February. But a nighttime video shared online alongside claims it shows pilgrims flocking to the South Asian nation was in fact filmed in Pakistan's megacity Lahore.

"The eye-catching view of Tongi Ijtema in the night darkness," read a Bengali-language caption to the clip shared on Facebook on January 31, 2025.

The one-minute clip surfaced as the Ijtema kicked off in the Bangladeshi town of Tongi outside the capital Dhaka (archived link).

The annual gathering of Muslims -- held in Bangladesh from January 31 to February 5 and again February 14 to 16 -- is expected to draw around four million attendees (archived link).

Most pilgrims come from rural areas, although the event draws thousands of Muslims from North Africa, Central Asia and China.

The event has been dubbed a mini-hajj, especially by poor Bangladeshi Muslims who cannot afford a plane ticket to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Ijtema gatherings are also held elsewhere in South Asia, including India and Pakistan.

Screenshot of the false post taken on February 05, 2025

Similar Facebook posts also claimed the video was filmed in Bangladesh but it was in fact taken during the Ijtema in Pakistan's second largest city Lahore.

A reverse image search of the video's keyframes on Google found it shared in an Instagram post on November 10, 2024 (archived link).

The caption of post read: "Raiwind ijtema 2024", referring to a town within Lahore where the gathering is held annually.

The 2024 Ijtema was held in Raiwind from October 31 to November 3 and then from November 7 to November 10, local media including Pakistan Today and Pakistan Observers reported (archived here and here).

Screenshot comparison of a false post (left) and the video from Instagram

Lahore city's traffic police shared the video on Facebook, saying it showed a peaceful end to the Ijtema in Raiwind (archived link).

A video of the same scene from a different angle was shared on Facebook -- which corresponds with Google Maps satellite imagery of Raiwind (archived here and here).

Screenshot comparison of frames from the Facebook video (left, centre) and Google Maps imagery of Raiwind (right) with similar features highlighted by AFP

AFP has previously debunked false claims about the Ijtema in Bangladesh.

Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.

E-mail