The parliamentary election is knocking at the door. Yet microphones, banners and mass rallies are no longer the sole pillars of campaigning. With posters banned, the smartphone screen – rather than the wall – has become the main stage of the vote. Social media has emerged as the most influential arena of the election.
Likes, comments, shares, views and hashtags are shaping the electoral equation. With the strong presence of young voters, campaigning has shifted online, turning the virtual space into a political battleground.
Although formal on-the-ground campaigning began on Thursday, political parties have been active on digital platforms for months. Theme songs, short videos, interviews and satirical content are recasting political messaging into a new experience.
This online turn rests on a vast digital footprint. Bangladesh had around 130 million internet users as of November 2025 – about 74 per cent of the population, according to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
A 2025 DataReportal report shows roughly 64 million Facebook users, about 50 million YouTube users and more than 56 million TikTok users. Such numbers have made social media indispensable for political mobilisation.
The shift is reinforced by the size of the youth vote. Election Commission data show that about 44 per cent of voters are aged between 18 and 37, with a large segment voting for the first time.
Disillusioned by the previous three national elections, many in this generation believe the outcome can change this time. As a result, they are consuming much political news and campaign content online.
In digital campaigning, BNP’s ambience music foregrounds the Sheaf of Paddy, Jamaat-e-Islami’s content highlights the Scales, while the National Citizen Party features the Water Lily bud in its theme song.
BNP’s promotional music stresses putting the country before the party, with slogans such as “We before me, the country before us, the people before power, Bangladesh before all” delivering emotive appeals.
By contrast, the most discussed display of symbols has been Jamaat’s election song, declaring: “Seeing the Boat, the Sheaf of Paddy and the Plough is over; the Scales will build Bangladesh this time.”
Invoking rival party symbols to mobilise support triggered widespread debate and criticism online, pushing competitors to adopt more aggressive and creative digital strategies.
While BNP and Jamaat livestream constituency-level rallies, NCP appears to be lagging behind. Its pages rely more on photo cards and recorded statements than on live broadcasts.
Beneath this digital buzz lies a growing risk: the misuse of artificial intelligence. A video that recently went viral – featuring lines such as, “Uncle, who will you vote for in the upcoming election?” and “We have given many parties a chance; this time we will give Jamaat-e-Islami a chance” – was later identified as an AI-generated deepfake. Such attempts to mislead voters have surged.
Election Commission sees this technological misuse as a major challenge. Voices and likenesses of political leaders are being cloned to circulate statements they never made.
Fake photo cards are also spreading widely. Designed graphics with fabricated quotes, false statistics, misleading headlines and the names of well-known media outlets are being used to push disinformation.
Old photos are routinely repurposed, and statements distorted, to create content that quickly gains credibility. Claims such as India’s objection to Islami Andolan’s inclusion in an 11-party alliance, or false remarks suggesting BNP would shut down the metro rail and introduce digital local buses if it came to power, illustrate the scale of online confusion.
The digital space is also seeing a rise in aggressive and hateful speech. Comments by Jamaat-e-Islami barrister Shahariar Kabir regarding BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman recently triggered intense debate.
In a talk show, he claimed Tarique Rahman’s return was possible only with a direct green signal from India. In response, Facebook users wrote: “If BNP comes to power, Shahariar Kabir will have to provide proof of allegations linking him to India.”
These risks are sharper in rural and remote areas, where digital literacy is lower and disinformation is more readily accepted as fact. Algorithm-driven targeted content is delivering misleading narratives to specific groups, narrowing perspectives and complicating impartial decision-making.
Another worrying feature of online politics is organised harassment and bullying. Journalists, researchers, content creators and ordinary citizens increasingly face abuse and intimidation for expressing political views. Longstanding allegations persist of organised bot networks using fake accounts to swarm posts, file reports and attempt character assassination.
There are, however, positive uses of digital space. BNP has launched “MatchMyPolicy.com”, allowing voters to agree or disagree with party policies, while Jamaat-e-Islami’s “janatarishtehar.org” aims to shape its manifesto based on voter feedback.
BNP leader Mahdi Amin explained that the party is prioritising policy dissemination and voter input, describing BNP as “a tested political party, with specific plans in every sector”.
Jamaat leader Jubayer Ahmed noted that their online activities focus on spreading a narrative of belief while positioning the party as an alternative through criticism of both Awami League and BNP governance records.
Overall, alongside ground-level politics, digital space has become the election’s primary battlefield. Videos, songs and posts showcasing achievements, counter-attacks, disinformation, fake photo cards and AI-driven content have blurred the line between persuasion and deception.
The contest is no longer limited to party rivalry. Digital campaigning is also under way around the referendum on the July Charter, backed by state patronage. The interim government is promoting a “yes” vote through official websites and social media, a move Yunus’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam said reflects the declining influence of traditional media.
National Citizen Party, borne out of the July mass uprising, is also campaigning online for a “yes” vote. Analysts and content creators caution, however, that offline campaigning remains crucial.
H Al Banna, creator of the pro-Jamaat viral song, said there is no substitute for field-level outreach. “Online campaigning decides what people will talk about offline,” he said.
In a young-voter-rich country like Bangladesh, this reality may determine victory or defeat. That is why, in the 13th national parliamentary election, digital campaigning, AI misuse and online violence have pushed debates about democracy’s future away from the streets – and most intensely onto the smartphone screen.
