Viral Video Claiming Dhaka University Turmoil is Actually From Indonesia
A video claiming that Dhaka University is in turmoil and that the country is on the brink of civil war has been circulating on Facebook. However, fact-check by Dismislab found that the original footage shows a protest in Indonesia and has no connection to Bangladesh.
The video spreading on social media shows protesters on the street, some running, some carrying flags. Sparks of fire and smoke can be seen behind them. Several Facebook pages (1, 2, 3, 4) shared the clip with the caption, “Dhaka University in turmoil right now! Country on the brink of civil war” (original spelling preserved).
At the fourth second of the 24-second clip, a protester can be seen running with a flag. At the ninth second, four flags with the same colors and patterns are visible. Verification shows the red-and-white flags are Indonesian.
To further investigate, key frames of the video were searched, and the same video was found on Instagram. Its caption said, “The situation at the Brimob Headquarters is tense and increasingly heated.” On Google Street View, the surroundings of the Brimob Headquarters, or Brigade Corps Headquarters, matched with locations seen in the video.
On Google Maps Street View, a structure with wires seen in the video is part of a bus stop near Brimob Headquarters. The no-parking sign visible in the video is also in front of this bus stop. The tree across the street from the sign and the tower behind it also matched the same location on Google Maps.
The “No Parking” sign is visible in both the video (left) and Google Street View (right) The identical tower is visible in both the video (left) and Google Street View (right). A bundle of wires on a similar structure is visible in both the video (left) and Google Street View (right) The identical tree is visible in both the video (left) and Google Street View (right) A protester is holding the flag of Indonesia.
Searching online with key frames and keywords found similar footage of protests in Indonesia published by Indonesian outlet MNC Trijaya and the BBC. MNC Trijaya reported the footage was from in front of the Brimob Headquarters on the night of Aug. 29.
Protests in Indonesia over rising living costs and other issues have turned violent. On Thursday, after a video spread showing a delivery rider killed by a police vehicle, demonstrators vandalized and set fire to police headquarters and buildings in Jakarta. Violence later spread to Makassar, Solo, Yogyakarta, Medan and other cities.
In conclusion, the video shared as a scene from Dhaka University is false. It shows protests in Indonesia.
Disclaimer: The original version of this fact-check report was published in Bengali on Dismislab’s Bengali website on September 2, 2025. The English translation was completed later; however, to maintain time accuracy and avoid any potential misinterpretation, the English version has been published with the original publication date.
