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Bangladesh’s Fake News Epidemic Reveals Deeper Crisis in Media Trust
Something unusual is happening across Bangladesh’s social media landscape. Counterfeit pages mimicking the country’s leading newspapers and television channels have proliferated, spreading exaggerated or entirely fabricated stories. These pages meticulously copy logos, fonts, and editorial styles of established news outlets, creating a parallel information ecosystem that millions of Bangladeshis engage with daily.
Despite their obvious inauthenticity, these “mirror pages” have gained significant traction. Their popularity isn’t merely a reflection of digital gullibility but points to a profound crisis in Bangladesh’s information landscape.
Years of government restrictions on press freedom have systematically undermined public trust in mainstream media. The Digital Security Act of 2018, later rebranded as the Cyber Security Act in 2023, has created a climate of fear among journalists. Many reporters and editors have learned to avoid sensitive topics altogether, particularly those related to government criticism or social unrest.
“When mainstream news loses credibility, counterfeits rush in,” explains Arifur Rahaman, a political science researcher studying the phenomenon. “The professional press has become cautious and predictable due to legal threats and corporate dependencies.”
This self-censorship has created what media scholars call “information voids” – gaps in reporting that alternative sources rush to fill. These voids became particularly apparent during the quota reform protests and the violent unrest in July 2024, when internet shutdowns and media restrictions left citizens desperate for information.
The psychology behind the popularity of these mirror pages is equally telling. Research on cognitive bias shows that people often gravitate toward information that confirms existing beliefs rather than seeking objective truth. The mirror pages speak directly to emotions like anger, frustration, and hope, articulating sentiments many Bangladeshis feel but rarely see expressed in mainstream outlets.
Social media algorithms further amplify the problem. Facebook, which remains the primary news source for millions of Bangladeshis, prioritizes engagement over accuracy. Sensational headlines generate more clicks, shares, and comments than nuanced reporting, giving mirror pages a structural advantage in the attention economy.
Digital platforms bear significant responsibility, experts argue. These companies have the technical capability to identify and restrict pages that impersonate legitimate news outlets but have been slow to implement effective solutions in Bangladesh.
The crisis extends beyond technology into democratic institutions. When political competition degrades into propaganda, and information becomes weaponized, citizens struggle to determine what information to trust. The result is a fractured public sphere where conspiracy theories thrive alongside legitimate reporting.
Addressing the fake news epidemic requires a multi-faceted approach. Legal reforms are essential to create protections for free expression that would allow legitimate journalism to flourish. The newly approved Cyber Security Ordinance of 2025 presents an opportunity to correct past overreach, though many press freedom advocates remain skeptical about its implementation.
Media organizations themselves must also evolve. Transparency about reporting methods, prompt acknowledgment of errors, and clearer communication could help rebuild trust. Many Bangladeshi newsrooms still write primarily for officials rather than audiences, creating a disconnect that alternative sources exploit.
Education represents another crucial component of the solution. Media literacy programs in schools and universities could teach students to verify information, cross-check sources, and resist emotional manipulation.
“Mirror pages are symptoms of a society struggling with trust,” Rahaman notes. “They thrive because truth has become uncertain and silence has become normal.”
The proliferation of fake news in Bangladesh thus reveals a deeper institutional failure. The mirror pages aren’t merely parasites living off mainstream media but reflections of a fractured information ecosystem. Their popularity suggests that many citizens would rather consume questionable information that feels true than official narratives that feel incomplete.
Rebuilding trust in legitimate journalism will require more than technical solutions. It demands a recommitment to transparency, accuracy, and accountability across Bangladesh’s media landscape and political institutions.
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24 Comments
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