In the months leading up to Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election, a new weapon of misinformation flooded social media: fake photocards designed to look like trusted news outlets.
These graphic cards, mimicking the logos, fonts, and layouts of mainstream media outlets, carried fabricated claims that appeared credible at first glance. Analysts say the tactic is deliberate -- borrowing the authority of journalism to make falsehoods go viral at little cost.
Between September 2025 and February 2026, nine fact‑checking organisations debunked 690 distinct fake photocards. Nearly half of all political misinformation during that period originated from these imitations, according to Dismislab.
The photocards followed two dominant formats: news‑style reports (51.7 percent) falsely claiming crimes, arrests, or survey results, and fabricated statements (48.3 percent) attributed to political leaders or officials.
Their circulation spiked around major events. After the shooting of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi in December, fake cards claimed Tk 127 crore had been laundered into a commentator’s account. When Prime Minister Tarique Rahman returned from London later that month, photocards alleged patients were dying in ambulances due to traffic congestion at his reception.
On the eve of the election, February 11, the volume peaked. Cards falsely reported candidate withdrawals, arrests, and weapons seizures. One fabricated quote claimed Jamaat was willing...
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