As Bangladesh prepared for its 13th parliamentary election, the night before saw intense activity on social media, particularly involving Awami League, Jamaat-e-Islami, and BNP supporters. These political actors utilized platforms like Facebook and Telegram to sow doubt about election legitimacy, suppress voter turnout, erode trust in traditional media, and create confusion among voters. Tactics included circulating years-old “zombie content,” AI-generated deepfakes, and fabricated news photocards claiming candidate withdrawals and election cancellations.
Fact-checking organizations like Dismislab actively countered misinformation, debunking numerous falsehoods before voting began. Reports highlighted disinformation about ballot-stuffing, with pro-Awami League posts claiming voting had already occurred at polling centers. Additionally, pro-Jamaat narratives attempting to discredit BNP included resurfacing past allegations of violence against BNP members and falsely portraying criminal activity.
The disinformation campaign also featured misleading endorsements from religious and ethnic minorities through deepfake videos and claims of violence attributed to BNP. Pro-BNP entities retaliated by spreading unfounded accusations against Jamaat leaders. Ultimately, claims of candidates withdrawing or elections being canceled were debunked with confirmations that these candidates were still in the race.
Overall, the article illustrates how disinformation and propaganda were rampant in the lead-up to the election, complicating an already tense political landscape.
