Dismislab, a Bangladeshi online verification and media research platform, has verified that a video circulated on a verified X (formerly Twitter) account, RT India, claiming attacks on Hindu temples in Bangladesh, is not authentic.
Upon investigation, Dismislab confirmed that the video in question depicts a religious festival in Sultanpur, located in the Burdwan district of West Bengal, India.
The video, captioned "Attack on Hindu temples in Bangladesh – the footage claims that miscreants are smashing and destroying idols," shows an attempt to decapitate an idol.
However, this scene is part of a traditional idol immersion ritual.
The platform revealed that the video was first uploaded to Facebook on November 29, with the caption including the Bangla hashtag #SultanpurKaliMataNiranjan.
Based on this information, Dismislab identified the location as Sultanpur in Khondkosh, Burdwan district, West Bengal.
The festival, held every 12 years, involves the gradual breaking and immersion of a 12-foot idol of the goddess Kali in a pond.
Further corroboration came from additional footage available on the page Sultanpur Kiranmoyee Pathagar, which matched the video shared by RT India.
Dismislab also debunked another video posted from an X account named "Baba Benaras," which alleged widespread attacks on Hindu temples and devotees in Bangladesh on December 1.
The caption read: "See how Hindu temples were vandalized and Hindu devotees were beaten up in different cities of Bangladesh yesterday. But the whole world is silent on the massacre of Hindus in Bangladesh."
The video showed a structure being vandalized.
However, Dismislab traced this footage to an incident on August 29 at the shrine of Ali Pagla, near Bamanjani Bazaar in Mansurnagar Union, Kazipur Upazila, Sirajganj, Bangladesh.
The original video of this attack was published on a YouTube channel, The Metro TV, on the same day, titled in Bangla: "Ali Pagla's shrine in Kazipur, Sirajganj being destroyed."
The video from The Metro TV matches the one shared by "Baba Benaras," confirming that it was misrepresented and unrelated to the claims made.
Dismislab's findings highlight the importance of fact-checking to combat misinformation and maintain accurate narratives in sensitive situations.
