Bangladesh Demands Strong Action Against Online Incitement

The interim government of Bangladesh has issued a firm warning to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, expressing serious concern over the spread of incitement, violence, and destabilising content on social media platforms. In an official letter sent on Friday by the National Cyber Security Agency, the government urged Meta to take immediate and effective action against provocative Facebook content that has allegedly contributed to real-world violence, attempts to disrupt the electoral process, and attacks on media institutions.

According to the letter, Meta has been asked to impose heightened monitoring on all Bangladesh-related content until the conclusion of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the national referendum scheduled for February next year. The interim government noted that Bangladesh is currently passing through a sensitive phase of democratic transition, during which misinformation, hate speech, and organised online provocation are having a direct and dangerous impact on public order and social stability.

The government’s concerns are rooted in a series of recent violent incidents. The letter refers specifically to the shooting of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, convenor of Inkilab Manch and a prospective independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency. On 12 December, a day after the election schedule was announced, Hadi was shot in the head in Dhaka’s Purana Paltan area. He was initially treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later transferred to Evercare Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was flown to Singapore for advanced treatment on 15 December, where he later died while undergoing medical care.

Following the spread of news of Hadi’s death on social media, Dhaka witnessed a wave of violence. The offices of Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and the cultural institution Chhayanaut were attacked and set on fire. These incidents triggered widespread panic among journalists and cultural workers, while raising grave concerns about media freedom and safety. The interim government believes these attacks were not isolated events but part of a broader pattern of violence fuelled by Facebook-based incitement.

The letter further alleges that individuals associated with the former Awami League government publicly endorsed Hadi’s death through Facebook posts. At the same time, other accounts openly called for violence against journalists and media organisations. Shortly after these posts circulated widely, coordinated acts of vandalism and arson took place. Despite repeated appeals from the government and civil society, Meta allegedly failed to take timely action against such accounts.

In response, the National Cyber Security Agency outlined several specific demands. These include stricter enforcement of community standards for Bangladesh-related content, enhanced moderation of Bangla-language posts, improved sentiment analysis and contextual review, and the rapid removal of content that promotes violence, intimidation, or organised harm.

Meanwhile, Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, has urged citizens to directly report any content that incites violence or terrorism. In a Facebook post, he announced that from Saturday onwards, the National Cyber Security Agency will accept complaints directly via WhatsApp and email.

The government has expressed hope that responsible action by Meta, combined with active public participation, will help curb the dangerous trend of online incitement and safeguard Bangladesh’s democratic process and social harmony.