Surging Disinformation Clouds Election Run-Up

Disinformation Surge Threatens Bangladesh’s Electoral Process

A troubling wave of disinformation, AI-generated content, and deepfake videos has flooded Bangladesh’s social media landscape ahead of the February 12 parliamentary elections and referendum, raising serious concerns about electoral integrity and public safety.

Media analysts and political candidates warn that the unchecked spread of false information through automated propaganda networks could significantly destabilize the pre-election environment if regulatory authorities fail to implement effective countermeasures.

Recent incidents highlight the severity of the problem. False social media reports claimed that Jubo Dal leader Saiful Islam had died from injuries sustained during a clash between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in the Sherpur-3 constituency on January 28. Separately, BNP candidate Mirza Abbas from Dhaka-8 was targeted by a deepfake video featuring fabricated slogans portraying him as an extortionist.

“The spread of misinformation and disinformation will badly affect the election environment unless it is controlled strictly,” warned Saiful Huq, a BNP-backed Revolutionary Workers’ Party candidate for Dhaka-12, in a statement to New Age on Thursday.

Experts point to systemic weaknesses in Bangladesh’s regulatory framework. Professor SM Shameem Reza from Dhaka University’s mass communication and journalism department emphasized that the country lacks sufficient technological capacity to coordinate effectively between regulatory authorities and social media platforms.

“Incidents now unfold so rapidly that by the time authorities such as the Election Commission, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, and the National Cyber Security Agency move to trace sources and take action, significant damage is done meanwhile,” Professor Reza explained.

The electoral code of conduct explicitly prohibits creating, publishing, sharing, or promoting false or misleading information—including AI-generated content—until the announcement of election results. The code also bans the use of automated bots, fake accounts, and synthetic media to spread false information against candidates, political parties, or the Election Commission.

Despite these regulations, Manisha Chakraborty, a Socialist Party of Bangladesh candidate for Barishal-5, alleged that the Election Commission has failed to take visible action against those spreading disinformation in clear violation of the code. She highlighted the particularly severe impact on women candidates, who often face targeted cyberbullying and misinformation campaigns.

Eyamin Sajid, AFP’s digital verification editor, noted a shift in the nature of online disinformation since the announcement of the election schedule. “Unaware users are sharing fake news related to the national election, while partisan users are posting baseless information to gain political mileage or to defame rival parties and their candidates,” he said. Sajid also pointed out that supporters loyal to the outlawed Awami League are spreading propaganda to discredit the election process.

In response to these challenges, Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed stated on Thursday that a designated cell is working to identify those spreading misinformation, with legal actions being taken accordingly. However, specific details about these efforts and their effectiveness remain unclear.

The National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) launched email addresses and a hotline in December to receive complaints about rumors and misinformation. NCSA Director General Md Taibur Rahman revealed that the agency receives approximately five complaints daily, which are forwarded to police or telecommunications regulators for action due to the agency’s limited investigation capacity.

Acknowledging that email-based complaints are time-consuming to process, Rahman announced plans to launch a new portal next week to handle complaints more efficiently.

Professor Reza highlighted an additional challenge: the absence of local offices for major social media platforms and tech companies in Bangladesh makes prompt enforcement difficult. “Even after identifying the source, it takes time to reach the platforms. And disinformation must be legally verified because what one party considers false may not be recognized as such by the platform,” he explained.

As Bangladesh approaches this critical electoral juncture, Professor Reza recommends that the Election Commission strictly enforce the code of conduct for candidates and their supporters. He also urged candidates to instruct their supporters to refrain from spreading misinformation and called on journalists to exercise greater caution in verifying information before publication.