DMP’s drill scene shared with claims of terrorist attack in Ramna Park

A video has circulated on the social media platform Facebook claiming that terrorists carried out a bomb attack in Ramna Park centered around the Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year) festivities. Ramna Park is situated in the center of the capital Dhaka, famous for the Pohela Boishak program. However, a fact-check by Dismislab reveals that the video depicts a security drill conducted by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) regarding the Bengali New Year celebrations. Media reports indicate that a DMP security drill for the Bengali New Year took place at the capital’s Ramna Park on April 12.

On April 12, a video was posted from a personal Facebook profile with the caption: “Terrorist attack in Ramna Park on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh, caught by police.” In the 40-second video, two individuals are seen entering the park. One takes a bomb-like object out of his pocket and throws it, which is followed by an explosion. At the 10-second mark of the video, several people are seen recording the scene with mobile phones and cameras. From the 15-second mark through the rest of the video, law enforcement forces are seen detaining the two individuals.

To verify the the video, a reverse image search led to a video report by Ekushey Television published on YouTube on April 12. Similarities to the circulated video are observed in the first 1 minute and 30 seconds of the 14-minute 23-second video. In both cases, the park environment and the clothing of the detained individuals are identical.

Multiple (1, 2, 3, 4) media outlets published video reports on this issue. Several scenes from the circulated video are seen in these reports.

A search for relevant keywords on this issue yielded reports from multiple (1, 2, 3, 4) news outlet. All reports mentioned the security drill. A report published by Prothom Alo on April 12 stated: “DMP Acting Commissioner Md. Sarwar has stated that there are no threats surrounding the Pohela Boishakh programs.”

The report further stated: “He made these remarks at a press conference at the DMP control room set up at the capital’s Ramna Batamul for the Bengali New Year on Sunday (April 12) afternoon. This press conference was organized to share the overall security preparations for the Bengali New Year. Later, he showcased the security drill.”

So, the video being circulated with the claim of a terrorist attack in Ramna Park is a scene from a drill organized by the DMP for the Bengali New Year.