Salahuddin warns of surging rumours, AI misinformation before polls

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Saturday warned that tackling misinformation, rumours, and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) will become increasingly challenging as the next national election approaches.

“In this era of videos, content is designed to appear authentic and easily believable. As elections near, false or misleading information—especially those generated through artificial intelligence—will spread rapidly. Combating this will be a serious challenge,” Salahuddin said at a seminar held in Dhaka's Banani.

The senior BNP leader also addressed claims that the party is anti-reform, calling such assertions misleading. “There’s a campaign branding BNP as anti-reform. I don’t even know if I should call it a rumour,” he said, emphasizing that BNP was the first to raise the issue of state restructuring and has already presented a 32-point reform agenda.

“We are constantly working with the Consensus Commission on meaningful reforms. We’ve been proposing implementable laws and practical solutions. BNP is the party of solutions,” Salahuddin added.

He expressed concern that some groups are deliberately distorting the spirit of past mass uprisings and democratic movements. “When we insult the legacy of our democratic struggle, we create room for fascism. No one in Bangladesh wants that,” he warned.

The BNP leader also condemned the spread of manipulated content on platforms like YouTube. “Some YouTubers use my photo, but insert someone else’s voice or text. They do the same with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other leaders—using sensational thumbnails that don’t reflect the actual content. It’s a dangerous form of manipulation,” he said.

Salahuddin criticised the trend of misleading digital content, saying it plays with public perception. “Their subscribers believe whatever that group puts out. It’s as if we’ve reached a point where whatever is published, no matter how false, becomes accepted as truth.”

Reflecting on recent political disunity, he noted, “Before August 5, the nation was united. Now we see divisions among ourselves, while those in Delhi watch comfortably from the sidelines.”