On August 5, 2024, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian government, Bangladesh expanded the powers of commissioned army officers in several phases to maintain law and order in the absence of the police force. However, the footage of individuals in military uniforms engaging in physical altercations does not depict Bangladeshi soldiers, despite such claims circulating on social media. In reality, the video was filmed in Myanmar and captures a clash between two armed ethnic groups over a land dispute in the northern Shan state.

A Facebook post on January 29, 2025, included a caption stating, "The Bangladesh Army was once a prestigious force. That army has now lost its honor due to the patronage of the illegal Yunus-led government and traitorous coordinators." The post featured a 13-second video showing armed individuals in military attire fighting among themselves. The video began circulating online after Bangladeshi army officers launched nationwide operations to stabilize law and order in the wake of Hasina’s ousting, particularly in light of the police force’s weakened state and absence from duty. The student-led uprising of August 2024 removed Sheikh Hasina from power, forcing her to flee to India, where she has remained since. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, replaced her administration. In September 2024, the interim government initially granted commissioned army officers magistracy powers for 60 days, which were later extended in a fourth phase.

Following the August coup, a joint force comprising the army, police, Border Guards, and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) launched an operation to recover firearms that had gone missing from various police stations. The video alleging a clash between military officers was widely shared on Facebook, but it was filmed in Myanmar, not Bangladesh.

A keyframe from the video was found through a reverse image search on Google, revealing a clearer version uploaded to YouTube on January 28, 2025. The caption in Burmese stated, "They are fighting each other," and included hashtags such as #army, #military, and #Myanmar. Further keyword searches led to a longer version of the video shared on Facebook on January 27.

Text overlaid on the video read, "Land dispute between KIA and TNLA (January 26, 2025, Mong Yu—KSSM)." The 6-minute 7-second Facebook clip contained footage identical to that in the misleading posts. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) are leading armed resistance against Myanmar’s military junta in northeastern Kachin state and northern Shan state.

According to a report by Myanmar-based media outlet Mizzima, the conflict erupted near a KIA checkpoint in the city of Namhpatka in Shan state due to a land dispute between the two-armed ethnic groups. The video captures individuals shouting in Burmese phrases such as "Don’t raise your hands," "Don’t touch me," and "You’re all drunk." The badges on the individuals' uniforms match those used by KIA and TNLA rebels.

Original News Source: https://factcheckbangla.afp.com/doc.afp.com.37283M7