This snapshot report examines emerging digital narratives and behaviors in the lead-up to Bangladesh’s general elections and referendum, focusing on the period from 1 to 15 February 2026. The elections were held on 12 February alongside the referendum, drawing a reported turnout of 59.44%, as reported by the Election Commission, and were largely peaceful, with a few instances of violence outside Dhaka. Relying on data from three social media platforms – Facebook, TikTok, and X – the analysis tracks the harmful digital narratives and behaviors, alongside constructive narratives related to de-escalation, democratic norms, and social cohesion. Three key insights emerged from this period:
- Increase in mis/disinformation and speculative posts leading up to the election – An observable surge in mis/disinformation and speculative claims shaped the pre-election information environment, contributing to uncertainty and heightened political tension across digital platforms.
- Popular election-related topics focused on turnout and credibility; discussions dominated digital platforms during this reporting period, with conversations largely focused on voting procedures, turnout, campaign activities, and assessments of the electoral process’s credibility and peacefulness.
- Narratives around India’s role in Bangladesh’s politics persisted – Narratives alleging foreign influence, particularly India’s, in Bangladesh’s domestic politics remained consistently present and resurfaced at key electoral moments.
For this reporting period, a total of 224k content was collected from Facebook, TikTok, and X, out of which 108k was classified for the purposes of analysis