On May 7, conflict broke out between India and Pakistan, including Pakistan-administered Kashmir, after attacks launched by India. In the days that followed, both countries suffered extensive damage from drone and missile strikes. Eventually, U.S. President Donald Trump’s intervention led to a mutual understanding between the two nations. However, amid this conflict or war, claims surfaced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Pakistan had won, and that Bangladeshis were celebrating the victory alongside Pakistan—two images were circulated to support this.
One of the images shows fireworks in the night sky, and the other shows a group of people of various ages celebrating while holding the flags of Bangladesh and Pakistan in a place resembling a stadium gallery.
Such posts can be seen on X here (archive), here (archive), here (archive).
Fact Check
Rumor Scanner’s investigation reveals that the circulated images have no relation to the India-Pakistan conflict. In fact, the images include one from New Year celebrations in Dhaka after the COVID-19 pandemic and another older image from Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Pakistan- both being shared with misleading claims.
Image Verification 1
Investigating the first image from the viral post led to a photo album published on the Dhaka Tribune website on January 1, 2021, titled In Pictures: Welcoming new year amid pandemic.
Reviewing the album, it depicts how various countries including Bangladesh celebrated the New Year 2021, marking the end of the terrifying days of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Several photos from Dhaka appear in the album, one of which closely matches the image being falsely claimed. The caption of that image reveals it was taken by Mahmud Hossain Opu in Old Dhaka.
So, This photo has no connection to the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
Image Verification 2
Further investigation into the second image—showing people cheering with Bangladesh and Pakistan flags in a gallery-like space—led to a similar image captured at nearly the same moment by Cricinfo, a sports media outlet. The image is available here.
Upon review, the same individuals appear in both photos. The person in the center is seen making a victory sign in both images. Aside from minor changes in flag positions, the rest of the visual elements remain nearly identical.
The caption and webpage confirm the photo was taken on September 3, 2024, during the second T20 match of the Pakistan vs Bangladesh series at Rawalpindi Stadium. Additionally, the image credit goes to Getty Images and AFP.
Using this information, a keyword search on Getty Images led to the same photo, found here, with the same caption confirming its origin.
Meaning, this image also has no connection to the India-Pakistan conflict.
Conclusion
Two images are being shared online with the false claim that Pakistan has won the conflict with India, and that the Bangladeshi public is celebrating this victory. These claims are completely untrue.
Sources
- Dhaka Tribune Website: In Pictures: Welcoming new year amid pandemic
- ESPNcricinfo Website: PAK vs BAN, 2nd Test Pictures
- Getty Images Website: Bangladesh and Pakistan fans wave their national flags as they watch… News Photo – Getty Images
