Old video misrepresented as scene from India migrant crackdown

The Facebook video shared May 26 comprises several clips showing people in a field throwing stones -- as men in camouflage uniforms look on. The caption says it was filmed as Bangladeshis pelted members of India's Border Security Force (BSF).

"BSF shows restraint; no shots fired as it continues to seal India-Bangladesh border," it reads, adding the operation was aimed at "curbing infiltration and smuggling" after the change of government in West Bengal.

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on May 26, 2026, with a red X added by AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won power in the eastern state in May, promising to "detect, delete and deport" illegal migrants.

The new government ordered the setting up of "holding centres" for "apprehended foreigners", singling out both Bangladeshis and Rohingya (archived link).

The decision has fuelled anxiety among West Bengal's roughly 35 million Muslims, many of whom share linguistic and cultural ties with neighbouring Bangladesh.

Police said hundreds of Bangladeshis gathered at the Hakimpur border crossing, hoping to cross back, while many have waded across a river to return to Bangladesh in desperation, although the scale of the exodus remains unclear (archived link).

"Looks like Bangladesh should be taught a lesson," wrote one user in response to the false post, suggesting they believed the video was recent.

"The government should allow our soldiers to give them a true answer," another said.

The video has also been misrepresented elsewhere on Facebook, and on X and Instagram, but it does not show migrants fleeing to Bangladesh attacking Indian troops.

Clash between farmers

A reverse image search on Google using the video's keyframes, followed by keyword searches found a video report from Bangladeshi newspaper Khaborer Kagoj on January 18, 2025 that showed the same scene (archived link).

Its caption says it was filmed during a fight at the border between India and Bangladesh.

Zohurul Islam, a local journalist who filed the report for Khaborer Kagoj, told AFP on June 8, 2026 that the video shows a clash between Indian and Bangladeshi farmers in a border area on January 18, 2025 over tree cutting (archived link).

"I filmed some of the clips and copied some clips from local journalists to make the video report," he said.

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (L) and the Khaborer Kagoj report

Indian media reported at the time scuffles broke out as Indian farmers accused Bangladeshi farmers of stealing their crops, who in turn said Indians crossed the border and cut down several mango trees. Three Bangladeshis were injured (archived link). 

Broadcaster NDTV quoted a BSF statement saying farmers from both sides threw stones at each other, but the situation "was immediately brought under control following timely intervention by BSF and BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) personnel. Farmers from both sides were dispersed and sent back to their respective territories." (archived link)

Bangladeshi news outlet BVNews24 published a report on the scuffle at the time showing the same scene (archived link).

The report also contains an interview with an official from the BGB, Md. Golam Kibria, on the incident.

"Our farmers are the sufferers of the damage that has happened," he said. "Therefore, all the farmers requested me to ensure that nobody gathers in the border area except farmers."

"And the request from BGB to all of our citizens and public is that nobody should cross the zero line because crossing the zero line may create an unwanted incident."

AFP has previously debunked other false claims related to migrants in West Bengal leaving for Bangladesh.