In February of this year, Bangladesh’s fact-checking organization Rumor Scanner identified 268 instances of misinformation that circulated online. Along with categorizing these misinformation cases, the organization also published a fact-story last month.
According to data compiled from fact-checks published on Rumor Scanner’s website, the highest number of misinformation cases were related to politics, with 127 instances, accounting for 47% of the total misinformation detected. Additionally, 73 cases were related to national issues, 10 to international affairs, 18 to religion, 8 to entertainment and literature, 5 to education, 16 to fraud, and 7 to sports.
Among these, text-based misinformation was the most prevalent, with 108 instances, followed by 64 cases of image-based misinformation and 96 cases of video-based misinformation. In terms of classification, 164 instances were identified as false, 64 as misleading, and 40 as altered content.
In February 2024, Facebook was the leading platform for misinformation dissemination, with 250 instances recorded. Other social media platforms also played a role, with 44 cases on X (formerly Twitter), 16 on TikTok, 38 on YouTube, 21 on Instagram, and at least 3 on Threads. Misinformation was not confined to social media alone—Rumor Scanner identified 10 instances where multiple mainstream media outlets in Bangladesh disseminated false information.
Since last year, the spread of misinformation related to Bangladesh from Indian media outlets and India-based social media accounts has been increasing. This trend persisted in February, with 9 instances where Indian media outlets propagated misinformation about Bangladesh. Additionally, 3 cases involved Indian social media pages and accounts spreading false claims. The spread of communal disinformation has been a growing concern in recent months. In February alone, 20 instances of communal disinformation were identified. Notably, in half of these cases, Indian social media accounts and pages were found to be the source of the disinformation.
According to Rumor Scanner’s analysis, 16 instances of misinformation were linked to Bangladesh’s current interim government last month. To better understand the nature of these cases, Rumor Scanner categorized them into two distinct groups: misinformation that favored the government (positive misinformation) and misinformation that opposed the government (negative misinformation). Their findings indicate that 87.5% of these cases were negative, contributing to narratives against the government.
In February, 16 instances of misinformation were disseminated concerning Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Among these, only 19% of the misinformation had the potential to be in his favor, while the remaining 81% were against him.
Among the government advisers, four instances of misinformation targeted Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (all negative), two involved Nahid Islam (both negative), three were related to Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan (all negative), and one case each targeted A F M Khalid Hossain, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, and Dr. Asif Nazrul (all negative). Additionally, three instances of misinformation were detected about the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam (all negative).
Rumor Scanner’s analysis of last month’s fact-checks found that among political parties, the Bangladesh Awami League was the most targeted, with 16 instances of misinformation. All of these had the potential to create a positive perception of the party. During this time, nine instances of misinformation were identified involving its student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, with 78 percent being favorable. Additionally, 12 instances of misinformation were linked to the party’s president, Sheikh Hasina, of which 58 percent were favorable.
Regarding the Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNP, one instance of misinformation was detected, which was negative. During this period, one instance of misinformation targeted the party’s chairperson, Khaleda Zia, which was negative, while another instance was about acting chairman Tarique Rahman, which was favorable. Four instances of misinformation were identified involving the party’s secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, all of which were negative.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was associated with 13 instances of disinformation, all of which were negative. Its amir, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, was targeted in three instances, all negative. The party’s student wing, Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir, was linked to 16 instances of disinformation, 87.5 percent of which were negative.
Students who led the July uprising recently formed a new political party called the Jatiya Nagorik Party (National Citizens’ Party), with former interim government adviser Nahid Islam as its convener. One instance of disinformation was circulated about him last month. Additionally, a new student organization, the Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Council, was established in February, and one instance of false information was spread about the organization.
State forces were not spared from misinformation either. Rumor Scanner identified seven instances of misinformation related to the Bangladesh Army, including two specifically involving Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman. Similarly, five instances of misinformation were detected concerning the Bangladesh Police, while two were linked to the Bangladesh Air Force last month.
The Students Against Discrimination, which played a leading role from the quota reform movement to the fall of the government, was subjected to 10 instances of disinformation in February. During the same period, 11 instances of false information were identified regarding its leaders. Among them, five targeted Hasnat Abdullah, three were about Sarjis Alam, and one each involved Khan Talat Mahmud Rafy, Nusrat Tabassum, and Abdul Hannan Masud, according to Rumor Scanner.
Rumor Scanner’s analysis of misinformation trends from last month found that 14 instances of death rumors were circulated involving well-known individuals and significant events.
On February 5, amid the announcement of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s speech broadcast, agitated students and protesters gathered at Dhanmondi 32, where they vandalized and set fire to the residence of Bangladesh’s first President, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Rumor Scanner identified at least 11 instances of misinformation regarding this incident, making it the single most misinformation-heavy event of the month. Recent reports indicate a significant rise in robberies and muggings across the country. In these cases, old videos, unrelated footage, and clips from other countries were repurposed to spread disinformation, with at least nine instances identified last month. Similarly, reports of rape cases have surged, leading to increased public concern, and following the same pattern, nine instances of disinformation were detected regarding such cases.
Last month, 51 instances of misinformation were spread using fake media names, logos, headlines, and counterfeit photocards, involving 32 domestic and international news outlets across 47 incidents. Among the affected media, the name of the national daily Prothom Alo was misused the most, appearing in eight instances. Following this, Channel 24 and Jamuna TV were each falsely attributed in four instances.
Issued by
Tanvir Mahatab Abir
Senior Fact Checker
Rumor Scanner Bangladesh
[email protected]
