Quarterly misinformation trends and cyberbullying of Female student leaders

Navigating Narratives

A monthly newsletter on disinformation trends in Bangladesh

Political misinformation peaks as false claims of rallies, clashes, and quotes spread online

Politics has long dominated Bangladesh’s misinformation landscape. In the first six months of the year, less than half of all false claims verified by eight local fact-checking groups were political. As the February election approaches, this share has risen sharply, with about two-thirds (63%) of all fact-checks between July and September linked to politics. More than half (52%) of debunked political claims centered on fabricated reports about rallies, clashes, or fake statements by political figures.

How female candidates faced cyberbullying during DUCSU election

Many consider the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election to be a reflection of national politics. For many of the country’s political leaders, the DUCSU election has been the starting point, and its outcomes often influence national political trends. With the national election approaching, this study examines how female candidates in the election were subjected to online abuse, hate, and harassment. Their experiences may serve as an early warning for women candidates in the upcoming national polls.

Election Watch

Bangladesh’s next national election, set for February 2026, is already shaping the country’s political conversation. As the election approaches, misinformation is spreading rapidly across social media, a familiar pattern. The surge of political disinformation seen before the 2024 polls is re-emerging, with a steady rise in election-related falsehoods throughout mid-2025.

Starting from the next edition, we will introduce Election Watch, a new section by Dismislab to track false claims, their sources, and their impact as the election season unfolds.

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