The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) has released its June 2025 ‘Misinformation and Disinformation’ report, uncovering an alarming spike in misleading narratives across Bangladesh.
A total of 324 verified cases of misinformation and disinformation were documented, with political content accounting for 253 cases, highlighting the manipulation of public discourse amid political uncertainty.
One example the report cited was a digitally altered photocard with the headline that Tarique Rahman will not meet the interim government, which was debunked as false by Rumor Scanner. Entertainment-related misinformation accounted for 24 cases.
This was followed by religious (19), online hoaxes (18), diplomatic (5), economic (4), and environmental (1) misinformation. This highlights a thematic skew toward politically charged content over other areas of public discourse.
The report revealed that the primary targets of misinformation and disinformation were political figures, including both domestic and international leaders, totaling 124 attacks.
False narratives also targeted law enforcement agencies (48), celebrities (25), religion (16), political parties (13), public institutions (16), the interim government (6), private institutions (2) and religious figures (1).
However, 73 incidents were classified as "unspecified," in which the false content caused general confusion without a clear victim.
The report also revealed that social media continues to be the principal vehicle for dissemination of such news, with 316 of the 324 cases originating from platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, and X (Twitter). This trend reinforces the urgent need for proactive digital regulation and media literacy.
CGS, according to a media release, has been monitoring misinformation and disinformation since November 2024, publishing monthly reports and maintaining the country’s only misinformation database at
www.factcheckinghub.com.
The report is also available on the website.
The report concluded with a strong call to action: Bangladesh must urgently adopt good digital governance, promote cross-platform collaboration, and invest in nationwide media literacy.
Without decisive efforts at the governmental, technological, and societal levels, the unchecked flow of misinformation and disinformation will continue to erode trust, damage reputations and weaken democratic resilience.
