Dhaka: BNP on Thursday urged the Election Commission (EC) to activate a fact-checking cell immediately to curb disinformation, misinformation, and smear campaigns on social media ahead of the national election. ‘There is widespread propaganda on social media centring on the election. Misinformation, disinformation, and character assassination are being carried out,’ said Mahdi Amin, spokesperson of the BNP’s election steering committee, at the party’s Gulshan election office.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the BNP has demanded the formation of a fact-checking cell at the Election Commission. ‘We urge that such a fact-checking cell be made operational across the country without delay,’ Mahdi Amin emphasized. The BNP leader highlighted the risk that intense propaganda and character assassination on social media platforms may affect the election atmosphere if left unaddressed.
He mentioned that Meta recently verified the official Facebook and Instagram accounts of Barrister Zaima Rahman, the daughter of BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman, and clarified that Zaima does not operate any other social media accounts. The BNP’s ICT wing has reportedly taken down over 50 fake accounts and pages spreading deepfake and AI-generated content, and they are in communication with Meta to remove more.
Additionally, Mahdi Amin pointed out that numerous fake pages have been opened using the name of Dr. Zubaida Rahman, wife of Tarique Rahman, to spread fabricated videos. ‘We confirm Dr. Zubaida Rahman has no social media account. We request everyone not to be misled,’ he stated.
The BNP has also launched a call centre to enable people to seek information, lodge complaints, or share feedback by dialling 16543. Furthermore, the party introduced the ‘Match My Policy’ platform, allowing people to give their opinions on the party’s policy proposals for its upcoming manifesto.
Regarding the referendum scheduled for 12 February, Mahdi Amin confirmed that BNP will take a ‘Yes’ position on reform issues based on its earlier proposals, including Vision 2030, the 27-point framework, and the 31-point programme. ‘We call upon every democratic-minded citizen, institution, and political party to contribute to a transparent and accountable state system,’ he added.
Mahdi Amin also expressed concern over what he described as the discriminatory placement of election symbols on postal ballots. He alleged that the ‘paddy sheaf’ symbol has been placed at the bottom in a way that is not easily visible and suggested rearranging the symbols in columns or lines to eliminate this disparity.
Furthermore, he claimed that some BNP candidates living abroad had renounced their foreign citizenship after securing nominations, yet the EC is creating complications over dual nationality. ‘Under Article 66 of the Constitution, there is no scope for unnecessary debate,’ he asserted.