BNP-Jamaat affiliated Fb web page runs dreadful propaganda

A Fb web page named ‘Satya Sondhaney’ – which is evidently affiliated to Al Qaeda-connected Bangladesh Nationalist Celebration (BNP) and its ideological ally Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) has been constantly operating dreadful propaganda concentrating on varied essential figures within the Awami League authorities in addition to members of the ruling social gathering by circulating sequence of disinformation and pretend information. One disturbing rumor titled – “Singer Mumtaz is contaminated with AIDS”, drew the eye of this newspaper.

The put up, that includes an image of the famend singer and former MP of the ruling social gathering alongside the brand of the main satellite tv for pc tv channels – ‘Channel-I’, has been shared 4,200 instances by Fb customers. Regardless of the web page’s tagline, ‘Fearless in revealing the reality’, it primarily posts faux information and anti-government contents, revealing its function in propaganda towards the Awami League authorities.

Spreading such false rumors about former Awami League MP and in style singer Mumtaz Begum is a punishable offense beneath the prevailing Digital Safety Act (DSA), whereas it is also tantamount to defamation and prison acts.

The Digital Safety Act, aimed toward curbing the unfold of misinformation and defending people from on-line defamation, units a powerful precedent towards such malicious actions. Moreover, utilizing the brand of a well known TV channel like ‘Channel-I’ makes the rumor seem extra credible, thereby deceptive a bigger viewers. Nevertheless, as of the time of submitting this report, Channel-I has not commented on both of the Fb web page or this infamous rumor.

In an identical vein, one other inflammatory put up was shared from a Fb account named ‘Jafar bd ex-army’, that includes a video with a poster displaying the brand of ‘JAMUNA TV’ with title – ‘Chhatra League chief caught with 1 kg of gold in her anus!’

This put up used the picture of Chhatra League chief Tilottama Shikder and has been broadly shared on social media. The unique information, nevertheless, concerned an airline cabin crew named Surbhi Khatun in India, who was arrested with gold hidden in her physique.

In response to this defamation, Tilottama Shikder lodged a Normal Diary (GD) with Shahbagh Police Station. Jamuna TV additionally clarified the matte by publishing a report and sharing it on their verified Fb web page, condemning the faux photocard and affirming that they didn’t publish such content material.

The proliferation of such disinformation and pretend information on social media isn’t an remoted incident. It’s a part of a broader pattern of anti-government campaigns carried out by varied accounts and pages – primarily on Fb. Equally, anti-government components are also operating dozens of channels on YouTube – most of which both use logos of distinguished tv channels, whereas numerous the so-called information channels on YouTube are working with none permission or license.

The feedback and likes on these social media posts predominantly replicate anti-government sentiments, indicating a coordinated effort to undermine the present authorities and ruling Awami League. This technique of utilizing disinformation as a instrument for political warfare has change into more and more prevalent, posing important challenges to the ruling Awami League. There’s 1000’s of faux accounts of Fb and ‘X’ (previously often called Twitter), that are run by activists of Al Qaeda-connected Bangladesh Nationalist Celebration and its ideological ally Jamaat-e-Islami.

In recent times, the ruling Awami League has confronted substantial on-line propaganda challenges. The federal government’s efforts to counteract such disinformation have been met with restricted success, largely as a result of refined and chronic nature of those campaigns. Anti-government on-line propagandists, each domestically and overseas, constantly unfold misinformation, tarnishing the nation’s picture and eroding public belief.

Notably, recognized anti-government disinformation figures resembling Shahid Uddin Khan, Zulkarnain Sayer Sami, Canada-based YouTube Channel Nagorik TV’s Nazmus Saqib, Tito Rahman, and Pinaki Bhattacharya proceed their infamous actions by profiting from them being in overseas soils. The persistence of those figures in spreading misinformation raises vital questions in regards to the effectiveness of the federal government and its associated departments in combating this problem.

Current examples of propaganda embrace the false claims about singer Mumtaz and the Chhatra League chief, however these are merely the tip of the iceberg.

Hundreds of such posts have circulated over the previous few years, every contributing to a rising net of disinformation. The dimensions of this downside is highlighted by a current crackdown by Fb, which resulted within the shutdown of 148 Fb IDs and pages. These accounts, accused of being related to the Awami League and its analysis cell, the Middle for Analysis and Data (CRI), had been implicated in organized disinformation campaigns in response to media studies.

The shutdown of those accounts by Fb underscores the complicated dynamics of on-line disinformation. Whereas it could seem to be a victory within the combat towards faux information, it additionally displays the deep entanglement of political entities within the digital propaganda panorama. The actions taken by Fb recommend that disinformation isn’t confined to any single aspect of the political spectrum, however is a pervasive problem that impacts all events concerned.

The continual unfold of false data by pages like ‘Satya Sondhaney’ and accounts like ‘Jafar bd ex military’ highlights the pressing want for extra strong measures to fight on-line propaganda. It’s important for the federal government, social media platforms, and civil society to work collectively in addressing this menace. This collaboration ought to goal to develop efficient methods for figuring out, reporting, and countering faux information whereas making certain that the rights to free speech and political expression should not unduly compromised.

The battle towards on-line disinformation is ongoing and requires a multifaceted strategy. Training and consciousness campaigns can empower residents to critically consider the data they encounter on-line. Moreover, strengthening digital literacy applications can equip people with the instruments wanted to discern between credible information sources and propaganda.

The actions of anti-government Fb pages like ‘Satya Sondhaney’ symbolize a major menace to political stability and public belief. The propagation of false rumors and defamatory content material isn’t solely dangerous to people like singer Mumtaz and Chhatra League chief Tilottama Shikder but additionally to the broader democratic course of. It’s crucial for all stakeholders to acknowledge the gravity of this problem and take concerted actions to curb the unfold of disinformation, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the political discourse and the well-being of the society at massive.