NCSA Establishes Specialized Unit to Combat Misinformation and Rumors

Bangladesh’s National Cyber Security Agency has established a dedicated monitoring cell to combat misinformation and rumors ahead of the upcoming national elections, officials announced Monday.

The newly formed special cell will conduct round-the-clock surveillance of online platforms and social media to verify information and ensure content authenticity across digital spaces, according to an agency press release.

This initiative comes amid growing concerns about the potential for disinformation campaigns to disrupt electoral processes, a challenge that has increasingly affected democratic elections worldwide in recent years. The special monitoring unit will work in close coordination with several key government entities, including the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, Press Information Bangladesh, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, and various law enforcement agencies.

“The spread of false information can significantly impact public perception and potentially influence electoral outcomes,” said a cybersecurity expert familiar with such operations. “This proactive approach aims to maintain information integrity during a politically sensitive period.”

The NCSA has urged citizens to exercise digital vigilance by verifying sources before sharing content online. The agency also requested immediate reporting of suspicious, provocative, or anti-national content encountered on digital platforms.

“It is the responsibility of all to keep the country’s cyberspace safe,” the agency emphasized in its statement, highlighting the collective role citizens play in maintaining digital information integrity. The NCSA specifically asked the public to refrain from disseminating false or misleading information, manipulated images, and videos that could potentially destabilize the pre-election environment.

To facilitate rapid response to cybersecurity threats and misinformation incidents, the agency has implemented a 24/7 helpline service. Additionally, the NCSA has created four specialized email addresses to receive specific categories of complaints from citizens.

The dedicated channels include addresses for reporting online gambling activities, false information and rumors, issues related to fake profiles and online harassment, and cyber attacks targeting Critical Information Infrastructure institutions.

This development comes as Bangladesh prepares for its national elections, a period traditionally vulnerable to information manipulation and heightened political tensions. Digital misinformation has emerged as a significant concern for electoral authorities globally, with social media platforms often becoming vectors for rapid dissemination of unverified or deliberately misleading content.

The NCSA’s initiative mirrors similar efforts in other democracies where specialized units have been established to monitor and counter election-related disinformation. These approaches typically combine technological monitoring tools with human verification processes to identify and address problematic content.

Digital rights advocates generally support efforts to combat harmful misinformation while emphasizing the importance of maintaining appropriate checks and balances to prevent overreach in content monitoring. The effectiveness of such operations often depends on the delicate balance between countering genuinely harmful content while preserving legitimate political discourse and free expression.

The agency has emphasized that its objective is to enable safe and responsible use of digital spaces during this critical period in Bangladesh’s democratic process. By engaging citizens in this effort, authorities hope to create a more resilient information ecosystem less susceptible to manipulation and deliberate disinformation campaigns.

As election day approaches, the special cell is expected to increase its monitoring activities and provide regular updates on identified threats and mitigation measures to relevant stakeholders.