A viral video of a gunpoint motorcycle robbery in Hatirjheel has turned out to be a staged scene for a film shoot.
The scene was recorded around 11am on Wednesday near bridge No 2 on the eastern side of Hatirjheel.
Footage showing a motorcycle being hijacked at gunpoint by four young men in Dhaka’s Hatirjheel has gone viral on social media.
The video shows two helmeted youths stopping a motorcycle, assaulting the rider, and knocking him down.
Then, two more masked individuals arrive and seize the bike. One of them threatens the victim with a weapon before all four escape on two motorcycles.
During the incident, an on-duty Ansar member in the video is seen talking on his mobile phone. After the hijackers leave, he approaches the victim and speaks to him.
However, it was later revealed that this was a film shoot.
Hatirjheel police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Raju said: “We have no reports of a robbery in Hatirjheel. However, the Ansar member in the video confirmed that it was a staged scene for a film shoot.”
Sunil, the on-duty Ansar member in the video, said: “At first, I did not realize what was happening. When I approached, I was informed that it was part of a film shoot conducted with official permission.”
The 32-second video of the "robbery" was posted from a Facebook account named Al Amin Islam Soed, gaining over 700,000 views by 1:30am.
Later, another user, Sakib Raj, released the full footage, clarifying that it was a staged awareness video about the current crime situation.
The full video’s caption states: “This is an awareness video meant to educate the public about current issues. Please do not take it as real.”
The video further shows a warning message after the staged robbery, advising ride-sharing drivers to be cautious in isolated areas.
The filmmakers also included a statement from Ansar member Sunil, who said: “Public awareness is crucial in preventing crimes like robbery. The people must unite along with law enforcement to combat crime.”
At the end of the awareness video, it is clarified that only toy guns were used and that the entire project was a cautionary initiative, not a real incident.
Hatirjheel Project Assistant Engineer Aminul Islam said: “We often grant permission for film shoots in Hatirjheel. However, we are not always informed about the type of shoot or its script. Videos like this can spread widely on social media and create negative reactions.
"In the future, we will be more cautious in granting filming permissions and will require details about the shoot’s nature and content beforehand.”
