DHAKA, April 26, 2025 (BSS) - A total of 837 instances of misinformation were detected in Bangladesh during the first three months of 2025, according to a newly published report by Rumor Scanner, a leading fact-checking organization.

This marks a 21 percent increase compared to the last quarter of 2024, when 654 cases were recorded. The rise in misinformation is attributed to ongoing political and national events, and religious controversies.

The report reveals that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the most frequent individual target of false narratives, with 80 percent of the content portraying her in a favorable light.

Among political parties, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was associated with the highest number of false claims.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was linked to eight misinformation cases, with an additional 46 related to its affiliates and leadership.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was targeted most frequently, with 78 percent of the claims about him being negative.
 
In contrast, six misinformation items were linked to acting chairman Tarique Rahman, with 83 percent presenting him in a positive light.

The National Citizens' Party (NCP) also featured in 22 misinformation items, including two about the party itself and 20 about its leaders.

Facebook was identified as the primary platform for spreading misinformation, with 748 of the 837 total cases originating there, an average of more than eight false items per day.

Other social media platforms also played a role, with 162 instances on X (formerly Twitter), 124 on YouTube, and 67 each on TikTok and Instagram.

The country's mainstream media contributed to 42 cases, while Indian media was responsible for spreading misinformation in 20 incidents involving Bangladesh.

The report also noted a persistent stream of false information about the interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who assumed office after the fall of the Awami League government in August 2024.
 
In the first quarter of 2025 alone, 44 misinformation items were linked to the interim government, with 93 percent of them presenting a negative view. Dr. Yunus himself was targeted in 51 false reports, 90 percent of which were also negative.

Since assuming power, the interim government has been mentioned in 179 misinformation cases, with 161 involving Dr. Yunus. Additionally, nine advisers and Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam were subjects of 34 false reports during this period.

Out of the 837 total incidents, 507 were entirely fabricated, 226 were classified as misleading, and 102 were deemed distorted. Two incidents involved satirical content being misrepresented as factual information.

The fact-checking team verified 333 text-based claims, 163 images, and 341 videos to arrive at these findings.

Politics remained the most affected category, with 346 cases, or 41 percent of all misinformation. National issues followed, making up approximately 29 percent. Religious misinformation continued to rise, as seen in recent years.
 
The Anti Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) was also targeted, with 20 misinformation cases linked to the group and 30 to its individual leaders, including Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, Khan Talat Mahmud Rafi, and Nusrat Tabassum.

Misinformation surrounding law enforcement and military institutions also persisted. A total of 60 false claims were linked to these forces, with the Bangladesh Army being the most targeted. Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman was mentioned in 11 of the cases.

The report also highlighted the increasing involvement of Indian media in spreading misinformation related to Bangladesh. Between January and March 2025, Indian media outlets were responsible for 38 misleading reports across 23 media houses, with AajTak Bangla alone publishing eight such stories.

Social media accounts based in India were involved in 15 additional cases. Communal misinformation was another major concern, with 78 cases reported in the first quarter, 61 percent of which were traced back to Indian social media accounts.
 
In total, Indian actors were found to be involved in 83 incidents of misinformation targeting Bangladesh.