As the country heads toward the 13th parliamentary election, the landscape of election campaigning is undergoing a significant transformation.
Traditional election publicity methods—once dominated by posters, banners and festoons—are rapidly giving way to digital platforms.
With the Election Commission’s code of conduct imposing strict restrictions on print-based campaign materials, candidates are increasingly relying on digital marketing, leading to a sharp decline in election-centric printing press business.
Ahead of the polls, election manifestos, candidate profiles and campaign messages are now being circulated primarily through social media and online platforms. Facebook, YouTube and other digital channels have become the main avenues for promoting candidates’ agendas, sharing videos of rallies and meetings, and disseminating campaign graphics and schedules. Compared to earlier elections, digital outreach is being seen as more effective in reaching voters, particularly younger and urban audiences.
Stakeholders involved in election campaigns—including candidates, printing press owners and digital content creators—say the shift has been dramatic. In previous elections, rival candidates typically spent between Tk30 lakh and Tk50 lakh on posters, banners, festoons and other printed materials.
This election cycle, however, spending on the printing sector has dropped by an estimated 50 to 70 percent. A large portion of that budget is now being redirected to digital marketing, with candidates spending anywhere between Tk20 lakh and Tk50 lakh on online campaigns.
In Chattogram, several digital marketing firms have already become actively involved in election campaigning. One such organization, E-Payra, is working with candidates from various political parties to create digital content and manage social media campaigns. The firm has launched campaigns for multiple candidates contesting in four parliamentary constituencies in Chattogram city.
Kamruddin Nissan, owner of E-Payra, told The TIMES of Bangladesh, “We record videos of field-level meetings, turn them into engaging content and promote them through social media platforms. Drawing on our experience from student elections like Cucsu, we have now started full-scale digital campaigns for parliamentary candidates.”
Another digital service provider, De Sheba, is also seeing increased demand. Its owner, Kamrul Hasan, said “We have already begun working for five candidates in the national election. We are preparing to expand our manpower to meet the growing demand.”
According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, 13th parliamentary election will be held on 12 February. Under the revised code of conduct, printed posters have been completely banned in all forms of election campaigning. While billboards are allowed, each candidate can use a maximum of 20. Banners may also be used, but materials such as PVC, polythene, plastic, resin or other non-biodegradable items are prohibited, making environmentally friendly materials mandatory.
Candidates across party lines say they are embracing the new rules. Shamsuzzaman Helali, a candidate from Chattogram-10 constituency, told The Times of Bangladesh that his campaign is fully aligned with the Election Commission’s guidelines. “We have taken initiatives to create and promote digital content. Our activists are sharing campaign materials on social media. We believe digital platforms provide wider visibility than traditional posters and banners,” he said.
He added that speeches and messages delivered at rallies are now instantly shared online, reducing the perceived impact of restrictions on physical campaign materials.
Similarly, Nurul Amin, BNP’s nominated candidate for Chattogram-1 (Mirsarai), said digital media is receiving the highest priority in this election. “A separate media cell has been formed to regularly create content and promote it online. We are optimistic about receiving a positive response from digital platforms,” he noted.
While digital campaigning is flourishing, the printing press industry is facing one of its toughest periods. Traditionally, election seasons brought a surge of orders for posters, leaflets, banners, stickers and voter cards, significantly boosting business for both large and small presses. That demand has now sharply declined.
The owner of Sagarika Press and Server Station told The TIMES that candidates previously spent up to Tk50 lakh on various printed campaign materials. “During election seasons, imports of raw materials for PVC banners rise sharply. This time, that level of activity is absent. Printing-related work for candidates has fallen by around 70 percent,” he said.
Abu Taher, owner of Al Falah Printers in Andarkilla, echoed similar concerns. “National elections used to be our biggest source of income. Each candidate would place orders worth Tk5-10 lakh, and even small presses earned crores of taka collectively during the election period. This time there are hardly any election-related orders,” he said.
