Rumor Scanner, a fact-checking organization, uncovered 271 cases of misinformation circulating online in January. 

During this period, the organization also published two statistical reports and a fact file.

Based on the data collected from its fact-check reports, politics emerged as the most impacted category, accounting for 114 cases—42% of all detected misinformation. This was followed by 67 cases related to national issues, 29 on international affairs, 18 on religion, 15 on entertainment and literature, 9 on education, 6 on fraud, and 5 on sports.

Among the identified misinformation cases, 115 were information-based, making it the most frequently observed category. Additionally, 54 cases were image-based, while 102 were video-based. In terms of classification, 175 cases were entirely false, 65 were categorized as misleading, and 31 were identified as altered.

Facebook remained the primary platform for misinformation, with 225 cases detected in January. This was followed by 56 cases on X (formerly Twitter), 44 on TikTok, 42 on YouTube, 19 on Instagram, and at least one on Threads. Misinformation was also found in mainstream media. According to Rumor Scanner, at least 16 instances of misinformation were published by multiple news outlets in Bangladesh.

Since last year, misinformation related to Bangladesh has been increasingly circulated by Indian media outlets and social media accounts based on India. This trend continued in January, as observed by Rumor Scanner. Last month, seven instances of misinformation involving Bangladesh were identified in Indian media.

Additionally, nine cases were traced back to Indian social media accounts and pages spreading false information about Bangladesh. The spread of communal misinformation has been a topic of concern for the past few months. In January alone, 32 instances of communal misinformation were detected. Among them, 25 cases were linked to Indian social media accounts and pages spreading false information about Bangladesh. The spread of communal misinformation has been a topic of concern for the past few months. In January alone, 32 instances of communal misinformation were detected. Among them, 25 cases were linked to Indian social media accounts and pages that propagated false or misleading narratives.

BDST: 1346 HRS, JAN 03, 2025
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