Bangladesh Ferry Queue Misrepresented As Illegal Migrants Leaving Bengal After SIR Announcement

A video showing a long queue of people at a ferry ghat is circulating online with the false claim that it captures undocumented migrants fleeing West Bengal following the announcement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission. Faceoff’s investigation reveals that the footage is actually from Mongla in Bangladesh.

After the SIR was announced, anxiety spread among some residents in West Bengal who feared complications regarding their citizenship. The ruling Trinamool Congress criticised the process and alleged that the panic triggered by it had led to multiple suicide cases.

The Claim

A verified account on X shared the video with the caption:
“Illegals doing ‘Ghar Wapsi’ as soon as SIR is announced in West Bengal… Hope they won’t return by election time.”
Another right-wing handle, Kreately.in, amplified the same misleading narrative.

Footage traced to Mongla, Bangladesh

Faceoff analysed keyframes from the video using Google Lens, which pointed to a report by Independent Television in Bangladesh. The article included a similar image, identifying it as Mongla Ghat in Khulna and noting the heavy daily footfall and poor condition of the ferry ghat. A comparison of the viral video frame and the photo confirmed a close match.