Old video shared as stones found in onions imported from Pakistan to Bangladesh

What is the claim?

A 42-second video showing stones among a pile of onions has been circulated online. Posts claim that the stones were found in onion sacks recently imported from Pakistan to Bangladesh. The text overlaid on the video, written in Bangla, translates roughly to: “Each bag of onions from Pakistan contains 3 to 4 kg of stones. Pakistan and we are brothers, so no complaints against them.”

One such post on X (formerly Twitter) shared the video with a caption in Hindi stating, “Bangladesh, which is rapidly moving towards fundamentalism, decided to boycott Indian products and import onions from Pakistan! Because all Muslims are brothers of each other. Now, in every bag imported from Pakistan, stones are found mixed with onions!”

Similar claims have been shared on Facebook and YouTube. Archived versions of these posts can be found here, here, here, and here.

Screenshot of viral posts circulating on social media. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)  

The Indian Express reported that after India's temporary ban on onion exports last year, Bangladesh imported onions from countries including Pakistan and Turkey. The report also noted that political unrest in Bangladesh may have led Indian exporters to halt trade temporarily, allowing Pakistani onions to enter the Bangladeshi market. With the lifting of India's ban, Bangladesh now imports onions from India, Pakistan, and other countries.

However, the viral video is outdated and actually shows stones found in onion bags imported to Bangladesh from Turkey and Egypt in 2020.

What did we find?

A reverse image search of the viral video led us to a YouTube upload by the Bangladeshi channel Somoy TV, dated November 11, 2020 (archived here). The visuals in the viral clip exactly match those in the YouTube video, which is tagged as being from Chattogram. The video’s description indicates that the stones were found in onion sacks imported to Chattogram's Khatunganj center from Turkey and Egypt. It also highlights that the presence of stones among the onions, along with the waste from hundreds of onion sacks, resulted in significant business losses.

The video discusses the issue and shows the stones found in the onion bags. It notes that "after India stopped exports, onions were imported from 11 countries, including Egypt and Turkey.”

Similarly, another video report uploaded to YouTube by News 24 on March 2, 2021 (archived here) noted similar issues with stones being discovered in onion bags imported from Turkey.

Our search for recent news regarding stones in onion bags from Pakistan to Bangladesh yielded no results. A September 1, 2024, report by Bangla Tribune confirmed that Bangladesh continues to import onions from India, China, Pakistan, Egypt, and Thailand through Chattogram seaport, but did not mention any stones being found in the shipments.

The verdict

The viral video is from three years ago and shows stones found in onion bags imported from Turkey and Egypt. It is being misleadingly presented as recent footage of stones in onions exported from Pakistan to Bangladesh.