Unrelated old photos shared as 'self-defence' by Bangladeshi protestors

What is the claim?

Multiple social media users are circulating a collage of three photographs of protesters using protective gear like makeshift shields, masks, and helmets, claiming that they depict protestors in Bangladesh employing self-defense gear with the implication that they are ready for any possible confrontation against the security forces amid the unrest in the country. 

One of the Facebook users shared these photos with the caption, "Some self-defense equipment. ✊🇧🇩 my brother is ready to play! Best wishes for everyone ❤️" (Translated from Bangla). An archived version of this and other such posts can be found here, here, and here. 

Screenshots of the viral posts on social media. (Source: Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts) 

However, we found that the photos are from old protests in Hong Kong and Myanmar and are unrelated to the ongoing protests in Bangladesh.

What did we find?

Upon reverse image search using each of the viral photos, we found that these images originated from protests that took place in Hong Kong in 2019 and Myanmar in 2021. 

Image 1

The image shows a large gathering of protesters marching on a street equipped with makeshift shields, with some wearing helmets and face masks for protection. Several individuals are holding banners in the background.  

We found a news report that carried the same photograph on the website of American news media and radio network NPR, published on March 3, 2021, credited to Getty Images. According to the report, the picture was taken during a protest against the military coup in Mandalay, Myanmar. According to news reports, in 2021, the Myanmar army ousted Aung San Suu Kyi and took over the country’s government leading to mass protests against the army.

We also found the original photograph published on Getty Images with the caption, "Demonstrators take shelter and block the road during a protest against the military coup in Mandalay, Myanmar on March 3, 2021." The photo is credited to Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

Screenshot of the original photograph taken in Myanmar (2021) and the viral photo claiming to be from Bangladesh (Source: Getty Images/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

Image 2

This viral photograph features protestors wearing gas masks, and helmets for protection. One person in the foreground holds a transparent shield and wears a black and pink respirator mask. We found that this photo was taken during protests in Hong Kong in 2019. Several news outlets, including Malaysian news outlet New Straits Times and British tabloid The Daily Mail, published the same photo on August 24, 2019, and credited it to EPA Images, a leading visual content provider. 

We found the original photograph published by EPA images credited to Jerome Favre. According to the caption, the image was taken in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, on August 24, 2019, during an anti-government protest over an anti-extradition bill that was later suspended.

Screenshot of the original photograph taken in Hong Kong (2019) and the viral photo claiming to be from Bangladesh (Source: EPA/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts) 

Image 3

This viral image features a protester using a slingshot. The person can be seen wearing protective gear, including a helmet and a face mask preparing to fire the slingshot. We found the same photo published in American news outlet The New York Times, on April 17, 2021, captioned, “Protesters using slingshots during a protest in Yangon, Myanmar, last month.” The report also stated that all the photographs, including the one in question, are "by The New York Times."

Screenshot of the original photograph taken in Myanmar (2021) and the viral photo claiming to be from Bangladesh. (Source: The New York Times/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

The above evidence shows that old visuals from Myanmar and Hong Kong have been falsely linked to ongoing protests in Bangladesh.

We also examined photographs from various agencies, which show the majority of protestors did not use any protective gear during the ongoing Bangladesh unrest. Only a small number of images showed a few protestors using sticks and simple cloth masks, unlike the viral photos which depict the use of advanced gear by the protestors.

What is happening in Bangladesh?

Since June, students in Bangladesh have been protesting against a quota system for government jobs, which reserved 30 percent of the seats in government services to the descendants of the freedom fighters who participated in Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. The Sheikh Hasina-led government had scrapped the policy, but it was recently restored by a lower court, triggering widespread protests. Later, though the Supreme Court partially scrapped the lower court order, force used by the government turned the protests against the policy into an agitation against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League-led government.

According to a France 24 report, the protests have resulted in at least 300 killings, including students and several others who have suffered injuries. On Sunday, close to 100 people were killed, leading to calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On August 5, Hasina stepped down from her position and left the country. 

Shortly after her departure, protesters forced their way into the prime ministerial palace Ganabhaban in Dhaka. They vandalized the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the Bijoy Sarani area.

Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi Army Chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, announced that an interim government would soon be formed. Reports state that Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus would serve as the chief adviser.

The verdict

Old photos from Myanmar (2021) and Hong Kong unrest (2019) have been shared with the false claim they show protesters wearing protective gear for self-defense during the ongoing Bangladesh crisis. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.