How algorithms and AI are shaping the election
Mosharaf Hossain and Muzahidul Islam
Last month, we were visiting a few rural villages in Bangladesh. On a winter morning, we were sitting at a tea stall among people of all ages. They were discussing a range of topics, from the condition of their paddy fields to the upcoming election in February. At first, the conversation made sense. Then, someone asked a question that caught us off guard.
“Did you see Zubaida Rahman asking for your bank account number? She wants to send you money.”
He was talking about a video he saw on Facebook. We asked gently if they were sure the video was real. The answer was defensive. “What is there to be unsure about?” The elderly man asked us. To him, seeing was believing.
This conversation shows the invisible crisis in Bangladesh as we approach the 13th National Election on February 12. The battle for votes is not just being fought on the streets or in parliament. It is happening inside our phones. It is being fought with algorithms and artificial intelligence.
Bangladesh is often in the top 10 countries for Facebook use; by late 2025, we had over 60 million active users. For most of these people, Facebook is their only source of news.
The problem is simple. We have high internet usage, but we have low digital literacy. In a village, a video on TikTok or Facebook feels as true as the evening news.
Bad actors use this trust as a weapon. In the past, fake news was just text or bad photos. Today, there are videos and audio clips made by AI that look and sound 100% real.
It is not just the scams about political figures like Zubaida Rahman. We have seen deepfakes of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus appearing to promote gambling apps. We have seen AI videos of police officers making false promises. In villages where people cannot check facts, these videos act like a truth serum. If it looks real and sounds real, people believe it. The narrative is set before the truth can catch up.
We are not the first country to face this. In India's 2024 election, parties used AI to resurrect dead leaders. Voters saw videos of deceased politicians “endorsing” current candidates from beyond the grave.
Famous Bollywood actors were shown criticizing Prime Minister Modi in videos they never actually filmed. In Kenya, the situation was even darker. During their election, a fake audio clip went viral where President William Ruto seemed to admit to corruption. It was complete fabrication, but it spread fear and anger across ethnic lines before the truth came out.
In Pakistan, AI was used differently. The jailed leader Imran Khan used AI to deliver a “victory speech” from prison, blurring the line between physical reality and digital presence. The lesson is clear. Social media gives everyone a voice. But without safety checks, it can hurt democracy
What can we do?
Experts now warn that traditional fact-checking is no longer enough. Misinformation travels faster than the truth. By the time a journalist proves a video is fake, millions have already seen it. We need a new approach.
We must move from just “debunking” lies to “pre-bunking” them. This means warning citizens about manipulation tactics before they even see the content. We need to teach people that if a video makes them feel intense anger or sudden hope, they should pause. Misinformation targets our emotions, not just our logic.
Furthermore, we cannot rely only on media elites in Dhaka to fix this. Trust is local. We need to work with community leaders and local influencers who sit at those tea stalls. They are the ones who can stop a rumour before it spreads.
At the same time, social media platforms must be more transparent. They cannot hide behind their algorithms. They need to explain why users are seeing certain political ads and who is paying for them.
Algorithms and AI are changing how we choose our leaders. Bangladesh has a chance to use these tools for good to improve access and information for voters. But if we ignore the risks, we let machines and manipulators control the conversation.
The upcoming election is not just a test of our political choices. It is a test of our reality.
Mosharaf Hossain is a Communications Professional based in Cox's Bazar. Muzahidul Islam is a Sociology graduate and a digital rights activist.
