Old video of Khagrachhari shooting falsely spread as army-terrorist gunfire in Dhaka
A video has spread on Facebook claiming that there is heavy gunfire between the army and terrorists in the capital. Although it is being shared as a recent incident, Dismislab’s fact-check shows that the video is from September 19, 2024, in the Naranghia Red Square area of Khagrachhari district.
From a personal Facebook profile, a video was posted on December 13 with the caption, “At this moment there is intense gunfire between the army and terrorists in the capital, Sukhor [sic] Yunus has turned the country into a militant state, remove Yunus save the country.” The video has been viewed more than 6,000 times. In the top right corner of the 55-second video, the logo of “CHT News” can be seen.
Multiple (1, 2, 3, 4) personal Facebook profiles also posted the video with the same claim.
Keyframe search revealed a post published by CHT News on September 20, 2024. Its caption reads, “This is how the army opened fire in the Naranghia Red Square area of Khagrachhari Sadar! To disperse the crowd that blocked the Khagrachhari–Panchhari road at the Red Square area in protest against settler attacks on hill people in Dighinala, the army opened fire. This incident took place on the night of September 19, 2024.” The video exactly matches the video that is being circulated.
Multiple (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) news outlets published reports on this incident. A report published in the daily Prothom Alo on September 24, 2024, said that clashes began after the death of a Bengali youth named Md. Mamun (30) in a mob beating over a motorcycle theft in Khagrachhari Sadar on September 18.
On that day, there were chases and counter-chases between hill people and Bengalis. In protest of the killing, Bengalis brought out a protest march in Dighinala on Thursday afternoon. Bengalis alleged that when the march crossed Boalkhali Bazar, hill people obstructed it, leading to clashes between the two sides. Due to the clashes in Dighinala upazila, tension spread across Khagrachhari district headquarters, Panchhari, and the surrounding areas. On Thursday night, shooting incidents occurred in the Khagrachhari district headquarters. Three people were killed in the clashes and shootings.
A report published by CHT News on October 5, 2024 stated, “On September 18–19, 2024 in Khagrachhari Sadar and Dighinala, and on September 20, 2024 in Rangamati Sadar, with the support of certain quarters, settler Bengalis carried out communal attacks on the Jumma people, including the office of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council. They also looted and set fire to Jumma business establishments and homes. In these communal attacks, four Jumma people were killed . In addition, more than 100 Jumma people were injured in these communal attacks, and more than 100 houses and shops, including the office of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, were burned and looted.”
In other words, the circulated video is from a conflict in Khagrachhari one year ago, which is being spread with a false claim.
