Political parties are utilizing social media to reach voters ahead of the upcoming general election having more people hooked on Facebook and Twitter than ever.
Both the Awami League and the BNP are utilizing the social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, as campaigning tools.
These sites help them reach more people easily, quickly and at a very low cost compared to using the traditional campaigning tools such as posters, banners, festoons and loudspeakers.
There are 88.68 million internet users in this country as of July this year, according to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). The majority of them – 82.91% – access mobile internet services.
A 2017 report by Global Digital Statshot, conducted by Hootsuite, puts Dhaka as second in terms of having the most active Facebook users in the world. It says 22 million people in Dhaka use the social media website.
The Awami League, which has been in power for a decade now, uses the social media to highlight its development activities and achievements.
On the other hand, the BNP, which boycotted the last election, is using the platform to highlight ‘failures’ of the government.
AL, MPs active on social media
The Awami League, with its vision of a ‘Digital Bangladesh’, uses its verified accounts on Facebook and Twitter and its own mobile application to reach the people.
Awami League's official page on Facebook | Screenshot from FacebookPrime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina does not have any official or personal account on Facebook and Twitter. Her son and ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy, on the other hand, has verified Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The party top brass has directed its leaders and activities to become more active online to counter anti-Awami League propaganda.Recently, the Prime Minister’s Political Adviser HT Imam told party men to be prepared for a “big online battle” during the next election.
Awami League think-tank Centre for Research and Information (CRI) produces web contents to highlight the government's successes. CRI Associate Coordinator Tonmoy Ahmed said online content and campaigns are more effective than the traditional method.
“The Awami League is using social media platforms to reach out to the young and the educated sections of society,” he said.
Senior Awami League leaders said various quarters had tried to manipulate several recent movements for political gains by spreading anti-government propaganda.
Recently, ruling party student front - Bangladesh Chhatra League announced forming a cyber brigade. Former and current student leaders opened a Facebook page – Gujobe Kan Diben Na –to counter BNP-Jamaat’s propaganda.
Awami League sources said the party is prioritizing online campaigns, as decided by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her son Joy.Joy, in May last year, urged the party MPs to highlight the government’s achievements on social media.
“It is an era of publicity … we will have to publicize our development activities to fight the dissemination of misinformation against us,” Joy said.
Last week in Parliament, State Minister for Information Tarana Halim urged ruling party MPs to have their Facebook pages verified so that no one can spread false information using fake IDs.
BNP on social media
The next election is crucial for the BNP. It will lose its registration with the Election Commission if it sits this one out.
The BNP has been largely absent on the streets. The party is using social media to run campaigns and issue instructions to its activists, highlight its past achievements, its demands and conduct anti-Awami League campaigns.
BNP's official page on Facebook | Screenshot from Facebook
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia joined Twitter in September 2016. She also inaugurated a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a blog of BNP.
Khaleda’s media wing official Sairul Kabir Khan said they post daily event news and some stories on their pages. “The party’s demands are also shared on the pages as part of the campaign,” he said.
The BNP mainly highlights its activities, arrests of its leaders, their demands, including the release of Khaleda, among others, on these pages.
Sairul said a number of other pages are managed by BNP grassroots activists and supporters, some even from abroad,to promote the party and its leaders.
Why is social media important for polls?
Political commentators say they think the social media is mostly important to attract young voters.
They say young voters, numbering about 23.5 million, will be a crucial factor in the December election. Political parties find the tech-savvy young generation easier to reach through social media.
Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar said the youth prefer the social media. “Forty percent of them will cast their votes this time. For them, the social media campaign will be a crucial factor,” he said.
On the other hand, BNP Standing Committee member and former minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said the “current situation” was preventing the party’s young activists from taking part in street campaigns.
“But they are campaigning online by highlighting activities of the party and its leaders,” he said.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder and political commentator Zafrullah Chowdhury said the social media is for the educated and the youth.
“The youth are becoming more connected with social media because of the lack of political movements on the streets. The BNP shall not rely on the platform alone as the number of users is quite low. Along with social media, the parties, particularly the BNP, need to focus more on the streets,” he added.
Senior journalist Afsan Chowdhury said Bangladesh’s street-based politics is turning into social media-based campaigns.
“In this world of information, in the world for speech … campaigning on the social media is a right decision,” he said. “Online campaign is working on an alternative range. It is a positive thing that most people are using social media and running political campaigns [there].”