Claim: A video shows a Hindutva extremist man from India popping a Muslim child vendor’s balloons, raising concerns around minority rights in the country.
Fact: The viral clip likely originates from Bangladesh, not India.
Pakistan Observer, an English daily newspaper, shared a video on Facebook claiming it shows an Indian man popping the balloons being sold by a Muslim child vendor on the street.
The caption of the reel said:
“A video circulating on social media has alarmed viewers, showing a Hindutva extremist popping the balloon of a Muslim child, while the child can be seen crying helplessly and pleading. The incident has raised serious concerns about human empathy, minority rights, and the treatment of children, highlighting ongoing tensions and the need for stronger protection of vulnerable communities.”
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched keyframes from the video to trace it to its original source. We found the earliest instance of the video shared on 14 January 2026 on YouTube Shorts, with a Bangla caption that read:
“১২ বছরের বাচ্চার সাথে এটা কি উচিত হইছে #ভাইরাল_কেক”
[tTranslation: Is this appropriate with a 12-year-old child?].
It appeared to be a longer, complete version of the video shared in the claim, showing the man and the child with the balloons speaking in Bengali. According to the video’s translated subtitles, the man in the clip asks the child about his daily earnings and working hours. Toward the end of the video, he gives the child “1,000 Taka” as compensation for the balloons he popped and encourages him to take the day off and enjoy himself. The man’s offer to give the child a “1000 Taka”, the official currency used in Bangladesh, indicates that the video is from Bangladesh, not India.
Moreover, a review of the YouTube account “ik ibrahim 423” that had uploaded the video revealed its location as Bangladesh. Moreover, the description links to the user’s Facebook page, which also appears to be located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
We also reviewed other videos on the account, which featured content involving local vendors in Bangladesh.
Given that this YouTube post is the earliest instance of video shared online, we conclude that it is likely from Bangladesh, not India.
Virality
The claim was shared here (archive) and here (archive) on Facebook.
On Instagram, it was shared here, here, and here. Archived here, here, and here.
On X, it was shared here (archive).
Conclusion: The viral video likely originates from Bangladesh, not India.
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