With voting set for tomorrow (Thursday), campaigning on the ground have ended, but a fierce electoral cyber war is still underway online. Social media platforms are flooded with rumors and disinformation. Character assassination campaigns targeting candidates and their political families are ongoing. At the same time, attempts are being made to spread fear among voters to discourage them from going to polling stations. Observers warn that this could negatively impact voter turnout and the overall voting rate.
Cybersecurity experts say organized bot networks are actively behind much of the disinformation. In the online context, “bot networks” refer to automated software or coordinated networks of fake accounts that simultaneously post, like, comment, and share content to make it go viral for specific purposes. Although these accounts appear to behave like real users, they are often operated by programs or controlled teams.
Currently, most election-related disinformation exhibits similar patterns. Posts receiving hundreds of identical comments within a short period, coordinated use of specific hashtags, and excessive sharing from newly created or suspicious accounts are all indicators of bot activity.
Several pieces of false content have already been identified. A video circulated on social media purportedly showing BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman offering money in exchange for votes, an act that would violate electoral conduct rules. The video was posted from a Facebook page bearing the name of his daughter, Zaima Rahman. It urged viewers to follow and share the page and to leave their mobile payment numbers in the comments. Upon verification, the video was found to be AI-generated, and the page was confirmed to be fake. More than a dozen Facebook pages were discovered promoting the same claim.
Additionally, numerous fake photo cards imitating national media outlets have been widely shared. A viral image of graffiti in Purbachal, Dhaka, reading “No Boat, No Vote,” was later identified as an edited version of an old photograph. Within 20 hours, the post garnered over 3,000 reactions, 127 shares, and nearly 200 comments.
A video report claiming that internet services would be shut down on election day and the preceding day was viewed nearly 1.2 million times on TikTok. In reality, no such announcement was made by the government.
AI-generated videos depicting mass rallies and posts warning of possible unrest at polling centers have also spread widely on TikTok and Facebook. Many of these posts quickly accumulated thousands of reactions and shares, further reinforcing suspicions of coordinated bot activity.
Cybersecurity expert Arif Moinuddin said the pre-election period is the most vulnerable. “With field campaigning halted, the main battle has shifted online. Through bot networks, rumors can be made to go viral overnight spreading fear among voters, falsely claiming polling station takeovers, or even attempting to circulate fake election results,” he said.
“In Bangladesh, such disinformation is most prevalent on Facebook, followed by YouTube and TikTok. The government is reportedly working with Facebook to address the issue, though the effectiveness of these efforts will likely become clear after the election.”
Experts emphasize that platform or government initiatives alone are not enough to curb disinformation. Voters also have a responsibility to act cautiously verifying information before believing or sharing it and avoiding suspicious content. Such vigilance, they say, could help reduce the impact of disinformation in this critical final phase of the electoral process.
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
