The claim that the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) and residents of Myanmar’s Rakhine State launched an attack on local Bengalis in the hills is not accurate; the video in question is from a different incident. On Sunday, April 27, a video was circulated on social media claiming that UPDF and Rakhine residents attacked local Bengalis in Rangamati, a region in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The video is being widely shared across various Facebook accounts using identical captions. In the video, numerous people are seen arriving at a hilly riverside location using several boats. Logs are stacked along the elevated riverbank. As the boats reach the shore, several young men are seen disembarking quickly and engaging in clashes with other youths already present on the riverbank, using sticks and rods. One clip shows one group chasing another with sticks. In the top right corner of the video, a logo reads “Pahar 24 Digital” in English. The video, posted from a Facebook account named ‘Mission Impossible’ at 7:07 PM on Sunday, April 27, gained the most traction. The caption reads: “Today in Rangamati, UPDF and Arakan residents attacked Bengalis. Yunus’s game begins.” As of 3 PM on Tuesday, April 29, the video has been viewed 6,000 times, with 142 reactions, 7 comments, and 30 shares. The same video was posted with nearly identical captions from Facebook accounts named Md Hasan Ahmed, Megher Palok, and Sha Alam Sakib on April 27. A Google search of the “Pahar 24 Digital” logo found in the video led to the Facebook page of Pahar 24, an online news outlet based in Rangamati. A video report published on the page on August 6, 2024, matches the scenes in the circulated video. The setting, including the river, boats, people on the boats, and the clash, aligns with what is seen in the recently shared footage. According to the caption in the video, the incident took place in the Rajbari area of Rangamati town, where a clash occurred between the UPDF and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) on that day. Security forces later intervened and brought the situation under control. Additional details, verified through a Google search, appear in a report published on August 6, 2024, on the website of the national daily Jugantor. According to the report, amid ongoing national unrest at the time, the UPDF had called for a human chain and rally at the District Shilpakala Academy near the Rajbari Stadium in Rangamati, demanding justice for all killings. As UPDF leaders and activists arrived in the town to join the event, PCJSS members attempted to block their entry. A confrontation ensued, escalating into chasing and counter-chasing between the two groups. The army later intervened to restore order. At least 10 to 12 individuals were reportedly injured in the incident.

A report published on August 7, 2024, by the national daily Protidiner Sangbad corroborates the same information. Furthermore, no national or international news outlet has reported any incident on April 27 in Rangamati involving an attack by UPDF and residents of Rakhine State on local Bengalis. However, on April 24, in the Moinpara area of the Joint Farm in Sapchhari, Rangamati, UPDF director Baitta Chakma, also known as Lettu Chakma, was seriously injured in a shooting allegedly carried out by a rival group, according to media reports. Therefore, the video claiming that the UPDF and residents of Myanmar's Rakhine State attacked local Bengalis in Rangamati on Sunday, April 27, is outdated and pertains to a different incident.

Original News Source: https://www.ajkerpatrika.com/fact-check/fact-check-national/ajpoyo86wbgvi