Bangladesh election moves online ^{CEFR B2}

Bangladesh is preparing for its 13th National Parliamentary Election on February 12, 2026, and campaigning is shifting from public rallies to online platforms. Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube are now central to how political messages are produced and shared across the country.

A "state of digital" report for 2026 found 186 million active mobile connections (about 105 percent of the population), 82.8 million internet users (47 percent) and 64 million social media users. Political actors use follower networks, videos, live streams, campaign sites, songs and games to reach different constituencies, with young people a major online audience.

To limit digital misuse, the Election Commission issued regulations requiring candidates to submit official social media account details in advance and banning content that breaches the electoral code. The rules specifically prohibit the use of artificial intelligence to distort facts, manipulate images or videos, or otherwise mislead voters.

Fact-checkers and news outlets report rising misinformation and AI-manipulated content. The Daily Star identified nearly 97 AI-generated pieces on Facebook ahead of the election, while Rumor Scanner recorded 268 instances of misinformation in one month. Reports also describe bot-driven "haha" reactions across political circles and public accusations of large-scale misinformation campaigns. Platforms have taken steps, for example TikTok opened an "Election Information Center" with the Election Commission, but it remains unclear how effective rules and platform measures will be at reducing deceptive online political messaging.