Footage of two women performing an intimate dance in a train carriage was filmed in India, contrary to social media reports that falsely claimed the incident took place in Bangladesh. Posts accused the pair of “promoting homosexuality” in the conservative, Muslim-majority country. However, a Delhi Metro official confirmed that the stunt took place in the Indian capital. Police were reportedly investigating the women for allegedly violating “nuisance” and “obscene acts and songs” laws.
The video shows two women sitting on the floor of a train car and smearing each other with colored powder. A Bengali love song plays in the background.
It was shared on Facebook on March 24, 2024, when India celebrated Holi, commonly known as the Hindu festival of colors (archived link).
“Bangladesh women are truly independent and here they have the space to do what they want to do,” the Bangladeshi post reads.
“And they promote homosexuality.”
The LGBTQ community continues to face widespread discrimination in Bangladesh. Although transgender people have become increasingly visible in society, a colonial-era law punishing gay sex with prison sentences still exists, although enforcement is rare.
The video was shared in similar Facebook posts, falsely claiming it was shot here and here in Bangladesh.
Holi video in Delhi
A reverse image search on Google found the video posted by an India-based Instagram account on March 21, 2024 (archived link).
In the video, titled “Happy Holi”, you can hear the Hindi song “Aang Laga De” from an Indian adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” being played – not a Bengali song.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the video shared in fake posts (left) and the clip posted to Instagram (right):
Indian news channel Times Now reported that the women in the video living in Delhi were originally from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in northern India (archived link).
The pair and a male friend faced legal action over the images and were previously fined for stunts they performed while riding a scooter, it added.
The Times of India reported that Delhi Police was investigating the women for allegedly violating the laws on “obscene acts and songs” and “drunkenness or public nuisance on the metro (archived link).
A Delhi Metro Rail Corporation An official confirmed to AFP on April 2, 2024 that the company had filed a police report.
