The term “bot army” has increasingly entered Bangladesh’s political vocabulary, with politicians, celebrities and online commentators frequently accusing organized digital networks of spreading propaganda, coordinating attacks and influencing public opinion on social media.
Whether during elections, political movements or contentious national debates, rival political camps often allege that “bot armies” are manipulating online conversations to amplify preferred narratives or drown out opposing voices.
Despite the growing public discussion, confusion remains over what bots actually are, how they operate and whether Bangladesh’s online political discourse is being shaped by automated systems—or coordinated human behaviour.
Digital marketing experts describe bots as automated technologies designed to perform specific online tasks without direct human involvement. These can include sending messages, increasing followers or generating engagement across platforms.
Digital marketing expert Sumon Chowdhury said bots are fundamentally part of an automation process.
“Bots refer to automated or robotic approaches. Tasks such as increasing page followers, automatically sending messages or connection requests and generating engagement can be performed through bots,” he said.
Bots themselves are not inherently harmful. Search engines use automated systems to index websites, businesses rely on automation for customer support and social media platforms deploy bots to detect suspicious activity.
The controversy begins when automation is used to manipulate visibility, shape public perception or influence online narratives.
Experts say bot activity has existed globally for years, but in Bangladesh the issue has become increasingly visible through politics. Social media platforms—particularly Facebook, YouTube and X—have emerged as major battlegrounds for political communication, mobilization and ideological debate.
Allegations have surfaced against multiple political actors over coordinated efforts to flood posts with likes, reactions and comments intended to amplify certain narratives or suppress opposing viewpoints.
However, experts caution that not all suspicious online activity involves technical bots.
Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of a digital rights organization, said coordinated human behaviour can often resemble automation.
“One person may control multiple accounts and use them to post similar comments. In some cases, politically motivated individuals behave like bots,” he said.
According to him, organized groups frequently mobilize supporters after internal instructions are circulated.
“Hundreds of individuals may simultaneously rush to a post to leave either supportive or hostile comments. Not all accounts are fake, but the objective can still be to influence perception in a coordinated manner,” he added.
Cybersecurity analysts often describe such efforts as coordinated inauthentic behaviour—campaigns designed to appear organic while being strategically orchestrated.
Technology analyst Arif Mainuddin said artificial intelligence has significantly changed how automated manipulation works.
In the past, bot activity was often easier to identify because repetitive messages, identical comments and predictable posting intervals exposed automation. Today, AI tools can generate varied language patterns, making automated behaviour appear more human.
“After the rise of AI, bot activity has become more advanced. Multiple versions of comments can now be prepared so that Facebook or other platforms interpret them as natural user behaviour,” Arif added.
Experts warn that AI-generated content allows networks to spread identical messages using different wording and tones, making detection increasingly difficult for platforms.
According to specialists, bot networks often seek to influence platform algorithms. By rapidly increasing engagement through likes, comments and shares, coordinated campaigns can artificially boost visibility for specific narratives—or overwhelm opposing viewpoints.
The strategy is used in both political and commercial campaigns. A recent international study found that 53% of global internet traffic in 2025 consisted of bot activity, with nearly 40% classified as malicious.
Bangladesh is not immune to the trend. Experts say allegations persist that automated systems and coordinated digital campaigns are being used for political propaganda, disinformation and commercial marketing.
Arif further said some social media marketing operations may conceal questionable practices.
“Many activities are conducted under the banner of social media marketing or SM panels. From the outside, they may appear commercial, but some services are being used for unethical purposes,” he said.
Concerns over political bot activity intensified following recent research findings.
A 2024 study by Dismislab highlighted evidence of Awami League-linked bot network activity across social media platforms. In the same year, Meta removed several Facebook accounts and pages tied to coordinated inauthentic behaviour involving party-affiliated actors, according to public transparency reports.
Another study claimed that more than 22% of online comments surrounding the July Movement involved bot-assisted activity aimed at influencing digital narratives.
Researchers caution, however, against oversimplifying the issue. Political events naturally generate high engagement from real users, making it difficult to distinguish between authentic participation and orchestrated influence without deeper technical analysis.
Experts say coordinated online harassment can become a law enforcement issue if it escalates into organized intimidation or targeted abuse, but responses must remain proportionate.
“If coordinated activity turns into harassment, law enforcement agencies may investigate. But actions should be evaluated case by case so that legitimate public expression is not restricted,” Miraj said.
Experts also argue that platform reporting systems alone are insufficient. Instead, they call for stronger digital literacy, public awareness, independent research and greater transparency from technology companies.
