Just days after the BJP won the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal with 207 seats, several videos have surfaced online claiming to show refugees fleeing the state and crossing into Bangladesh. The clips have been widely shared on social media with claims that illegal immigrants were leaving Bengal after the change in political power.
Additionally, people in the video can be seen wearing warm clothes, including sweaters, jackets, woollen caps and also mufflers, which is very unusual for the hot and humid weather conditions of May.
Investigations show that the viral videos are unrelated to the election results and were recorded much earlier in entirely different contexts.
Viral claims linked to Bengal election result
One viral video shows a large group of people walking with luggage along a road. Social media users claimed the visuals showed refugees leaving West Bengal after the BJP's victory.
Shared on Instagram by 'edwardrobin' reads as follows, "Today, May 5, 2026, the India-Bangladesh border is experiencing a massive wave of return migration, with thousands of people crossing back into Bangladesh following the BJP's landslide victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
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This political shift has triggered significant anxiety in border districts, as the new administration has immediately pledged to fast-track the completion of the 127 km border fence and intensify anti-infiltration drives. Fearing a crackdown and stricter identity verification under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, many undocumented individuals are choosing to return voluntarily.
At major crossing points like Hakimpur, the BSF is reportedly facilitating these returns through flag meetings with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), who remain on high alert to manage the sudden influx and prevent unauthorised movement during this period of administrative transition."
Another video shared on Facebook showed hundreds of people boarding a vessel with bags and belongings. This clip, too, was circulated with claims that refugees were heading back to Bangladesh after the election outcome.
A third video claimed to show tension along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, alleging that illegal immigrants were attempting to cross back amid increased Border Security Force surveillance.
First video linked to a religious gathering in Hooghly
Fact-check investigations by BOOM found that the first video predates the West Bengal election results.
The clip carried the username @YOUTUBERDIP, which led to social media accounts belonging to content creator Deep Ghosh. The same video had been uploaded on January 5, 2026, months before the election results were announced.
The video was reportedly filmed during the 'Biswa Ijtema 2026' religious gathering held in Puinan in West Bengal's Hooghly district, BOOM found.
Dip Ghosh later issued a clarification rejecting the political claims linked to the video.
"Disclaimer: The Reel You’re watching were shot about 5 months ago, on January 5th. It was during a Muslim festival in the Puinan area of West Bengal, called the Biswa Ijtema, where all the Muslims gathered for their festival. This is the scene I captured, showing how large the crowd was. This video is not related to any political party or agenda,people are misunderstanding and spreading it in the wrong way. I just made this video to show the crowd, so please do not link it to politics," he wrote in a disclaimer shared online.
Reports and vlogs related to the event also confirmed that the gathering took place between January 2 and January 5 this year.
Second video traced to Bangladesh event
The second viral video was also found to be unrelated to the Bengal election.
Reverse image searches traced the footage to a Bangladesh-based Facebook page named Launch Capture, where it had been uploaded in March 2026, found BOOM.
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Further checks linked the visuals to "Charmonai Mahfil", an annual Islamic gathering held in Barishal, Bangladesh.
Additional videos and images from the same location matched the viral footage, confirming that the visuals were not connected to West Bengal or post-election migration.
Hundreds of people cross border
The third video circulating online claimed to show people crossing through a fenced border area near the India-Bangladesh boundary in West Bengal.
The posts alleged increased security checks by the BSF and illegal immigrants attempting to return to Bangladesh. However, no verified official confirmation supporting these claims has surfaced so far.
The viral clips continue to circulate online despite being unrelated to the 2026 West Bengal election results.
