BNP Proposes Electoral Commission Fact-Checking Unit to Combat Online Propaganda

Bangladesh’s BNP Proposes Election Commission Fact-Checking Cell to Combat Online Misinformation

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called for the establishment of a dedicated fact-checking cell under the Election Commission (EC) to counter the rising tide of online propaganda and misinformation ahead of elections.

The proposal was presented by Mahdi Amin, adviser to BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, during the fourth day of ongoing dialogues between the EC and political parties at the Election Bhaban in Agargaon on Tuesday.

“We are talking about the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure a level playing field. This is crucial not only on the streets and during elections but also online,” Amin emphasized during the meeting.

The BNP representative pointed to troubling developments in Bangladesh’s digital landscape over the past year, highlighting a significant increase in cybersecurity threats, cyberbullying, and coordinated misinformation campaigns. According to Amin, these campaigns often target candidates and political parties through character assassination and propaganda, increasingly utilizing artificial intelligence technologies to create and spread false information.

The proposed fact-checking mechanism would operate at both national and local levels, with a central cell at EC headquarters and additional units at the upazila (sub-district) level. This decentralized approach aims to provide accessible channels for addressing misinformation across Bangladesh’s diverse regions.

Under the proposed system, candidates or parties experiencing online harassment or targeted by misinformation campaigns could file complaints either with their local assistant returning officer or directly with the central Election Commission office. The structure would allow for rapid response to emerging threats in the digital information space during sensitive election periods.

Amin specifically highlighted the disproportionate targeting of women in politics, noting that female candidates and politicians face heightened levels of online harassment and gender-based propaganda. This phenomenon has been documented in multiple countries globally, with research showing women in public life often experience more severe and personalized attacks online than their male counterparts.

The proposal includes practical enforcement mechanisms, with Amin suggesting that “it is possible to contact Facebook and YouTube to remove verified misinformation.” He indicated that existing national resources could support the initiative, including the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC), mobile operators, the police Detective Branch, Press Information Bureau (PIB), and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The BNP’s proposal comes amid growing global concern about the impact of misinformation on democratic processes. Elections worldwide have increasingly been targeted by both domestic and foreign actors using digital platforms to spread false information, manipulate public opinion, and undermine electoral integrity.

Bangladesh’s political landscape has been particularly polarized in recent years, with tensions between major parties often spilling into the digital realm. Social media platforms have become battlegrounds for political narratives, with accusations of fake news and manipulated content becoming common during election cycles.

The Election Commission has not yet issued an official response to the BNP’s proposal. However, election officials worldwide have been grappling with similar challenges, implementing various measures from media literacy campaigns to regulatory frameworks for digital content during election periods.

If implemented, the proposed fact-checking cell would represent a significant step in Bangladesh’s efforts to safeguard electoral integrity in the digital age, though questions remain about implementation details, operational independence, and the potential impact on free speech in political discourse.