Video of joint forces drill misrepresented as polling-centre takeover
A video recently circulated on social media claiming that attempts were being made to seize polling stations in Noakhali’s Begumganj two days before the election. But a Dismislab fact-check found that the footage is from a joint security drill conducted in the same area before the election.
A Facebook page named “Trinamool Awami League” posted a 55‑second video with the caption: “The current state of the ‘fairest election in history’! Attempt to seize the Begumganj polling center two days early.” As of publication, the post had been shared more than 400 times and had received over 1,500 reactions.
Another page, “Joy Bangla 1971,” posted the same video with the caption: “Polling center takeover in Noakhali.” A separate profile also shared the video with the caption: “How is this possible? How can they dare stand with weapons in front of the joint forces?” By the time of reporting, that post had been shared more than 6,000 times and had gathered over 20,000 reactions.
To verify the claims, Dismislab searched relevant keywords and found a matching video on a page named Chatkhil TV. The caption on that video read: “Armed miscreants attempt to seize a center; the army stops them. From Noakhali Begumganj’s election security drill. Video: Sabbir Uddin.” This footage matches exactly with the videos shared on the “Trinamool Awami League” and “Joy Bangla 1971” pages.
Another widely shared version matches a video found on the YouTube channel of Desh Television, titled: “Election drill of the joint forces in Noakhali.”
Further keyword searches showed additional media outlets had published videos containing the same scenes. Footage uploaded by Ekattor TV and Jago News displayed individuals holding weapons wearing identical clothing and featuring the same faces seen in the viral clips.
Journalists also confirmed that the building seen in the viral video matches Begumganj Government Pilot High School, the same location shown in the verified reports. Both outlets stated clearly that the footage was from a joint forces drill conducted to ensure election security in Noakhali.
This means, the videos circulating on social media claiming that polling stations in Begumganj were being seized are misleading. The footage in question shows a security rehearsal by joint forces, not an attempt to take over polling centers.
Disclaimer: The original version of this fact-check report was published in Bengali on Dismislab’s Bengali website on February 12, 2026. 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.
