Improved, real-time fact-checking must to curb misinfo

Misinformation and rumours in Bangladesh are no longer merely online falsehoods but are increasingly being used as political and commercial tools from social media to the streets and then into mainstream media and academics, said media experts and policymakers yesterday.

They made the remarks at a programme titled “Rumours and Misinformation in the Media: Who is the Victim? Who is the Predator?”, organised by the Press Institute Bangladesh.

“Fake news, disinformation and rumours should not be treated as random falsehoods. These are now highly political tools,” said Prof A Al Mamun of Rajshahi University’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism.

He termed it alarming as the world is witnessing the rise of fascist and autocratic regimes, along with right-wing politics.

In Bangladesh, the reality of the last two years showed a positive correlation between right-wingers and rumours, misinformation and disinformation, Prof Mamun said.

He also said false information can move from social media to the streets and then enter mainstream media, helping create a wider political reality, often provoking anger and feeding hate-driven politics.

Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, the prime minister’s adviser on information and broadcasting, said the crisis had become more difficult with AI and Bangladesh’s low media and digital literacy.

“Fake news is a crime,” Zahed said, adding that the government wanted to act against specific offences to convince the media and public.

UNESCO representative to Bangladesh Susan Vize said misinformation, disinformation and malinformation could not simply be regulated away, adding that fact-checking must improve, be available to journalists, and work in real time.

She stressed capacity building for journalists on biases, fact-checking, AI, algorithms and information integrity.

PIB Director General Faruk Wasif said online behaviour is shaped by algorithms owned by big corporate platforms.

“The main victim is not only the people but also the media industry, as they are losing credibility and people are leaving them in attraction of social media hype,” he said.

Faruk also said while people are thrown into “an ocean of information”, many have limited capacity to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Mamunur Rashid, associate professor at Jahangirnagar University and consultant at Bangladesh Computer Council, said mainstream and social media operate in a blended environment, where users are both consumers and producers of content.

He said Rumor Scanner’s national category from January 2023 to March 2024 showed 925 cases, with AI-generated content being the largest category and political figures being the main targets in the dataset, followed by government institutions.

Mamunur also said while misinformation production has a correlation with monetisation, political agenda may remain even if monetisation is excluded.

Citing the Reuters Institute’s 2025 report, Nazia Afrin Monami, adjunct faculty at ULAB, said 58 percent of people think it is harder to separate truth from falsehood online, while platforms reward anger, fear and excitement, making truth compete with provocative falsehoods.

A book titled “Shikari Sangbadikota” (Predatory Journalism), written by Prof A Al Mamun and Kazi Mamun, both teachers at RU’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, was also unveiled at the programme, moderated by PIB instructor Sahanowar Sayd Shahin.