Recently, a video showing personnel in U.S. Air Force uniforms at a hotel has been circulated in various ways on social media. Centered on ongoing public concern and discussion about U.S. influence in Bangladesh, the video is being used to spread various types of misleading propaganda.

For example, one post attached the video and stated, “So, is Sheikh Hasina’s statement coming true, has Bangladesh fallen into someone else’s hands? In the city of Chittagong, at the army’s hotel Radisson Blu, more than 100 US soldiers have booked rooms without entry in the register. The Chittagong naval base, airport, port, Cox’s Bazar, Maheshkhali, and St. Martin are all unprotected. If you think the dominance of Christian-Jewish Americans is the establishment of Islam, then your ruin is not far away.”

See posts circulated on Facebook with such claims here (Archive) and here (Archive).

See a post circulated on TikTok with such a claim here (Archive).

See a post circulated on Instagram with such a claim here (Archive).

See a post circulated on X with such a claim here (Archive).

See a post circulated on YouTube with such a claim here (Archive).

Fact-check

The Rumor Scanner team’s investigation found that the manner in which the video of the U.S. Pacific Air Force’s presence in Chittagong has been presented—without relevant context and in an alarming way—is misleading. The reality is that this video shows members of the U.S. Pacific Air Force staying at a hotel in Chittagong for a 7-day joint exercise titled ‘Operation Pacific Angel 25-3’, conducted under the direction of the Armed Forces Division and the overall management of the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF). Such training exercises in Bangladesh involving members of various U.S. forces are not a new phenomenon; rather, these types of training activities have been conducted regularly for the past several years. Furthermore, the claim that the U.S. Air Force members checked into the hotel without registering in the guest book has been denied by the hotel authorities, who stated that the same check-in process, including providing passport and visa copies, was followed for them as for any other guest.

In the course of the investigation, a comparison of the hotel lobby’s design shown in the viral video with the lobby design of the Hotel Radisson Blu in Chittagong revealed a match.

Joint Exercise of Bangladesh Air Force and U.S. Pacific Air Force

A report published on the website of the mainstream news outlet ‘Ajker Patrika’ on September 17 states that a 7-day joint exercise titled ‘Operation Pacific Angel 25-3’ involving the Bangladesh Air Force and the U.S. Pacific Air Force is underway. This joint exercise is being held at the BAF Base Zahurul Haque in Chittagong. Additionally, reports on this matter have been published in several other media outlets.

Regarding this, a statement published on the website of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on September 14 says, “Under the direction of the Armed Forces Division and the overall management of the Bangladesh Air Force, a 07 (seven) day joint exercise titled ‘Operation Pacific Angel 25-3’ with the participation of the Bangladesh Air Force and the United States Pacific Air Force has begun on September 14, 2025 (Sunday)…

‘Operation Pacific Angel 25-3’ will primarily involve various exercises for MEDEVAC coordination, aircraft maintenance and aeronautical activities, parachute and litter rigging, rotary-wing hoist operations, maritime and flood response activities, Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC), jungle survival and accident site management, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR). One BAF C-130J transport aircraft, one MI-17 helicopter, and two U.S. Pacific Air Force C-130J transport aircraft are participating in this exercise. A total of 150 members from the BAF and 92 members from the U.S. Pacific Air Force will take part in Operation Pacific Angel 25-3. Additionally, members of the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy will also participate. This exercise will play a vital role in enhancing the professional skills, exchanging mutual experiences, increasing interoperability, and strengthening cooperation between the air forces of the two countries. Furthermore, a combination of air force, medical, engineering, and logistics experts will serve the local population, further strengthening mutual trust, confidence, and the bond between the air forces of the two nations.”

Similar information can be found in a post published on the Bangladesh Air Force’s Facebook page on September 14.

Additionally, a post published on the U.S. Embassy Dhaka’s Facebook page on September 17 states, “The U.S. Air Force and the Bangladesh Air Force are jointly hosting Pacific Angel 2025, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness exercise in Chittagong. This partnership highlights our shared commitment to building a more secure and stable Indo-Pacific region.”

Such U.S. Military Training Activities in Bangladesh Are Not New

The investigation revealed that similar joint exercises between the Bangladesh Air Force and the Pacific Air Force have been held at various times in the past.

A statement was found on the ISPR website, published on February 28, 2024. It says, “Under the management of the Bangladesh Air Force, the 10-day joint exercise ‘Exercise Cope South-2024’ with the participation of the Bangladesh Air Force and the United States Pacific Air Force concluded on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at BAF Base Bangabandhu. One BAF C-130J and one AN-32 transport aircraft, and two U.S. Pacific Air Force C-130J transport aircraft participated in ‘Exercise Cope South-2024’. 250 members from the BAF and 77 members from the U.S. Pacific Air Force took part. Additionally, 12 members from the BAF, 30 from the Bangladesh Army, and 40 from the Bangladesh Navy participated as paratroopers.”

Furthermore, another statement was found on the ISPR website, published on February 25, 2022. It says, “Under the direction of the Armed Forces Division and the management of the Bangladesh Air Force, the 06-day joint exercise ‘Exercise Cope South-2022’ involving the Bangladesh Air Force and the United States Pacific Air Force concluded on Friday, February 25, 2022, at BAF Base Bangabandhu… One BAF C-130J transport aircraft, one AN-32 transport aircraft, and two U.S. Pacific Air Force C-130J transport aircraft, 200 members from the BAF, and 80 members from the U.S. Pacific Air Force participated. Additionally, 55 members from the Bangladesh Army’s Para Commando Brigade and 12 paratroopers from the Bangladesh Navy took part.”

Another statement was found on the ISPR website, published on February 3, 2020. It says, “The joint exercise ‘Exercise Cope South-2020’ with the participation of the Bangladesh Air Force and the United States Pacific Air Force was held on Monday (February 03, 2020) in Panichhara, Sylhet. One BAF C-130 aircraft and two U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft participated in today’s exercise. A total of 47 para commandos from the Army and Navy took part in parajumping in Panichhara.”

Thus, it is confirmed that joint exercises in Bangladesh between the U.S. Air Force and the Bangladesh Air Force are not a new occurrence. Such training workshops have been held in various cities across the country for the past several years. The ongoing training in Chittagong appears to be a part of this continued cooperation. The main objectives of these exercises are to enhance the professional skills, exchange mutual experiences, increase interoperability, and strengthen cooperation between the two countries’ air forces.

Did the U.S. Air Force members check into the Radisson Blu hotel in Chittagong without registering in the guest book?

Subsequently, an investigation into whether the U.S. Air Force members booked rooms at the Hotel Radisson Blu in Chittagong without an entry in the register led to a report published on the BBC Bangla website on September 17. The report states, “Various individuals on Facebook have been seen making allegations that the U.S. members checked into the hotel without registering in the guest book.

But the hotel authorities told BBC Bangla that such allegations are not true. A senior hotel official, who wished to remain anonymous, said, ‘A group from the U.S. has arrived here. Around one hundred.’

He stated that the same process followed for other guests—providing passport and visa copies—was also followed for them. However, he mentioned that he was not certain if they were members of the U.S. Air Force, though he presumed they were from the military.

‘They are staying at our hotel following the same process as any other guest. The protocol of a chain hotel like Radisson is the same for every guest. Any guest who comes here must enter with their passport and visa copy,’ said the official. He added that they are staying at the hotel after providing all necessary documents to the hotel authorities.”

Therefore, the information being spread on social media with videos surrounding the training event between U.S. Air Force and Bangladesh Air Force members in Chittagong is misleading.