As Bangladesh prepares for its national elections in February 2026, UNESCO Dhaka has convened digital platforms, civil society organisations (CSOs), and media development and fact-checking bodies to address growing digital risks and safeguard electoral information integrity.
The day-long, in-person workshop was organised in collaboration with Digitally Right under the UN Electoral Project (BALLOT). It brought together more than 30 participants from over 20 civil society organisations to examine emerging online threats to electoral discourse and explore collaborative, rights-based responses in support of the Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC).
Representatives from META and TikTok joined the discussions online, providing practical insights into community standards, reporting tools, enforcement policies, escalation pathways, and the challenges posed by AI-generated content and deepfakes.
Participants, including senior CSO leaders, media development organisations, fact-checking groups, development partners, and information integrity experts, examined the growing impact of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, and synthetic media on public trust, voter confidence, and social cohesion during election periods.
Throughout the sessions, attendees emphasised that traditional, media-centric responses are no longer sufficient. They highlighted the need for multi-stakeholder engagement, stronger digital literacy, and a deeper understanding of platform governance and content moderation mechanisms.
Recent consultations under the BALLOT Project, along with a CSO dialogue hosted by Digitally Right in November 2025, have already underscored the increasing vulnerability of Bangladesh’s information ecosystem to mis- and disinformation, posing risks to public confidence in electoral processes.
Grounded in UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, the workshop aimed to foster neutral and inclusive dialogue on electoral information integrity while strengthening practical awareness among CSOs and media organisations on identifying, reporting, and escalating harmful or misleading content. It also introduced digital and human rights frameworks to support multi-stakeholder approaches to platform governance and online participation.
The programme opened with remarks by Dr Susan Vize, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh, followed by a presentation on electoral information integrity and digital risks by UNESCO Senior Project Officer Mehdi Benchelah. Additional sessions were led by FactWatch on election-period fact-checking and by Digitally Right on digital safety tools, offering practical guidance for journalists and civil society actors.
Through experience-sharing and group discussions, participants identified potential follow-up actions under the BALLOT Project, particularly to strengthen online safety and information integrity for journalists and vulnerable communities during elections. The outcomes are expected to enhance situational awareness among electoral stakeholders, including the BEC, and inform future initiatives supporting credible, transparent, and peaceful electoral processes in Bangladesh.
