February 2, 2026
DHAKA – In 2025, fact‑checkers recorded a 30 percent surge in false or misleading content compared to the previous year, marking a sharp escalation in both volume and sophistication.
The nature of disinformation also shifted. Two out of every three fact‑checks involved political narratives, half of them spread through video, and one in ten generated using artificial intelligence, signaling an increasing use of technology to circulate false information, according to an analysis by Dismislab, a fact-checking organisation.
For its annual review of 2025, Dismislab analysed the headlines of more than 4,000 distinct fact-check reports published in 2025 and compiled a top-ten list of individuals who appeared most frequently in disinformation headlines.
Ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina topped the list, with her name appearing in 274 fact-check headlines. A large share of this misinformation involved her old videos, photographs, and statements that were spread as “recent”. Another major strand centered on rumors of Sheikh Hasina’s return to power.
Interim government Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus came second, appearing in 150 fact-check headlines. Most of these false claims involved portraying his government as unstable and illegitimate. Repeated false claims also circulated stating that “Yunus has resigned” or would resign, and that the army had issued him a “deadline” for resignation.
Other political figures who were subjected to disinformation are the now slain Inqilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah, US President Donald Trump, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and BNP’s late chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
AI IN DISINFORMATION
Of all the distinct instances of misinformation fact-checked in 2025, 10 percent, or 417 cases, were created using AI. In other words, one in every 10 pieces of misinformation involved AI-generated content across almost all topics including politics, disasters, and international conflicts.
The use of AI in political misinformation was particularly striking. For example, on December 25, multiple AI-generated images circulated claiming that Tarique Rahman returned to the country, showing him at the airport with family members or stepping off a plane and touching Bangladeshi soil.
In addition, AI-generated videos were circulated claiming to show Sheikh Hasina delivering a speech in the Indian parliament. Elsewhere, images were shared purporting to show students holding placards reading “We want Hasina” or painting similar slogans as graffiti on walls.
POLITICAL MISINFORMATION
Throughout the year, misinformation related to politics circulated consistently and was fact-checked in greater volume compared to any other topic. In every quarter, politics ranked first among all other issue-based false information.
However, the volume was highest between September and December as elections approached. While an average of around 200 political misinformation items were fact-checked each month, the number more than doubled to 408 in December.
One of the main contributors to the rise in political disinformation from September onward was the student union elections at different public universities across the country. In the following months, false information began circulating about the timing and method of the national parliamentary election and party nominations.
In December, the killing of Osman Hadi and Khaleda Zia’s illness and subsequent death were two top drivers of political disinformation.
Following the announcement of the parliamentary election and referendum dates, at least 55 instances of election-related misinformation were identified within just one month, most of them centering on various political alliances and fabricated survey results.
Overall, there was a persistent tendency to spread fear and anxiety about the country’s law and order. Analysis shows that at least 90 fact-check reports had headlines related to rape, more than 100 focused on murder or killings, and 45 involved cases of abuse or torture.
In the religious category, false information about attacks on or persecution of Hindus or other minority communities in Bangladesh circulated throughout the year.
In 2025, nearly 52 percent of all false information circulated through video, including old and unrelated as well as AI-made clips. Graphic cards accounted for 21 percent of all misinformation fact-checked.
Fabricated quotations attributed to leaders and activists of various political parties, government advisers, or law enforcement officials were spread using photocards. Of them, 74 percent were disseminated by impersonating established media outlets.