BNP claims disinformation campaign against Tarique Rahman

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday alleged that a coordinated campaign of misinformation has targeted its Chairman Tarique Rahman, with at least 29 false claims circulated over the past week in an attempt to mislead voters ahead of the national election.

Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Election Steering Committee office in Gulshan, committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said multiple fact-checking platforms had identified and debunked the claims, describing them as part of a deliberate effort to damage the party’s image.

Mahdi alleged that activists linked to a rival political party were behind the spread of the narratives, using rhetoric and tactics reminiscent of past authoritarian periods. He said the campaign reflected growing frustration among BNP’s opponents in the face of rising public support for the party.

“With BNP’s popularity surging across the country, some groups have abandoned constructive political competition and resorted to personal attacks and disinformation,” he said.

He pointed to the large turnouts at recent campaign events attended by Tarique Rahman in Khulna and Jashore, saying they demonstrated strong grassroots backing for the party and its electoral symbol, the sheaf of paddy.

The BNP spokesperson also voiced concern over the planned deployment of Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) cadets for election-related duties. He argued that as many cadets are students who may hold political affiliations, their involvement could compromise the neutrality of the polling process.

Mahdi said the party had formally requested the Election Commission (EC) to reconsider the decision, warning that such a move could undermine confidence in the fairness of the election.

Questions were also raised about the accreditation of election observers. Citing data from the EC website, Mahdi said that as of January 26, a total of 55,454 observers from 81 local organisations had been approved, with more than 34,000 coming from just 16 groups.

“This concentration is alarming, particularly when some of these organisations are reportedly led by individuals linked to a specific political party,” he said, calling for stricter vetting to ensure impartiality.

To safeguard transparency, BNP urged the EC to review the full list of observers, limit the number of observers from less experienced organisations, and restrict entry to no more than two local observers per polling centre at any given time.

On the issue of state reform, Mahdi said BNP has consistently advocated structural changes, beginning with its Vision-2030 document in 2016, followed by a 27-point reform outline in 2022 and a more detailed 31-point proposal in 2023.

He noted that BNP was the first party to propose reforms such as a bicameral parliament, term limits for the prime minister, and a merit-based recruitment quota, adding that the party would support a “Yes” vote in the upcoming referendum on state reforms.

Mahdi said BNP’s election manifesto for the 13th parliamentary polls is expected to be unveiled on February 6.

Outlining Tarique Rahman’s campaign schedule, he said the BNP chief will visit Barishal and Faridpur on Wednesday, addressing public rallies at Bells Park ground in Barishal at noon and Rajendra College ground in Faridpur at 1:45pm, before returning to Dhaka later in the day.