Clip of religious ritual in Bangladesh falsely linked to West Bengal unrest
- Published on May 21, 2026 at 08:36
- 2 min read
- By Devesh MISHRA, Eyamin SAJID, AFP India, AFP Bangladesh
The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured its maiden victory in India's West Bengal state after dislodging the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) that had ruled the state for 15 years, but footage circulating on social media does not show Hindus celebrating by playing music at a local mosque. The footage has circulated on social media since June 2025 about a religious ritual at a Bangladesh shrine. Its custodian told AFP the use of musical instruments during prayers is common among the Sufi community that uses the shrine.
"What more can BJP goons do? In Kolkata, the election victory is being celebrated by playing music in a mosque," says part of the Hindi-language caption of a Facebook video shared on May 10, 2026.
"The wrongs are increasing; Muslims are being harassed; the consequences will be extremely painful. Your future generations will surely pay the price for your misdeeds."
The video shows several people playing trumpets and drums at a shrine, behind a man who appears to be praying.
The video was also shared in similar posts, including by users based in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
"It is unfortunate that BJP members are celebrating by playing musical instruments inside a mosque -- specifically at a location where prayers are being offered," reads a comment on one of the posts.
Another said: "This is the making of a 'New India' where Muslims are second-class citizens."
The clip circulated after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist BJP recorded a landslide victory in West Bengal's state elections, dislodging the All India Trinamool Congress party that had been in power since 2011 (archived link).
Violence has erupted since the election, with at least five people killed since the results were announced on May 4, including a close aide of West Bengal's new Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari (archived link).
While local media reported that Muslims and their properties had been targeted in post-election attacks, the footage circulating on social media is unrelated to the polls (archived here and here).
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to a longer version shared on YouTube on June 20, 2025 (archived link).
Its Bengali-language description says, "Outstanding music, outstanding flute tune".
The channel is named, "Gashchi Shahi Darbar Sharif" -- which is a Sufi shrine located in the village of Raozan in Bangladesh's Chittagong district (archived link).
"The video shows a ritual of our celebration. We celebrate this kind of festival twice a year -- once in February and once in November," Shajada Syed Mohammad Yusuf Al-Matiya, the custodian of the Gashchi Shahi Darbar Sharif, told AFP on May 15.
All Maizbhandari communities use trumpets and musical instruments during prayers, he added, referring to a Bengali Sufi sect (archived link).
AFP has previously debunked other false claims stemming from the West Bengal polls.
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