Election regulations strictly forbid using religious sentiments for political gain, applying to candidates, their representatives, and supporters from the day the election schedule is announced until the final results are published. Despite these rules, various political parties and candidates are running advertisements on Facebook accusing their opponents of being “bad Muslims.”
An examination of 50 sponsored ads from December 23, 2025, to February 6, 2026, reveals that both BNP and Jamaat candidates are exchanging insults, labeling each other as “munafeq,” a term in Islam for someone who pretends to have faith but is not sincere. An analysis by The Daily Star of 55 similarly provocative religious posts on Facebook pages, groups, and profiles indicates that thirty of them seem to favor the BNP and Jamaat.
BNP supporters and anti-Jamaat activists are circulating claims that Jamaat-e-Islami leaders are offering “tickets to Jannah (paradise)” in exchange for votes. Conversely, Jamaat and its allies are alleging that their opponents are “seasonal Muslims” who only adopt Islamic appearances during elections to deceive voters.
Section 16(e) of the National Parliamentary Election Code of Conduct, governing social media conduct during elections, explicitly prohibits exploiting religious or ethnic sentiments for electoral benefits. When asked about potential violations by parties, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah stated that the Election Commission takes action against those who clearly breach the code of conduct.
Political ads on Facebook have become a battleground for religious accusations. For instance, a BNP-nominated candidate criticized Jamaat’s tactics as deceptive in a sponsored ad that reached over a million people. In another ad, a Jamaat candidate mocked opponents for their supposedly insincere adoption of Islamic attire only during the election period.
Both BNP and Jamaat-aligned entities are utilizing social media platforms to provoke voters with religious rhetoric, despite the Election Commission’s guidelines. This trend has drawn attention to the intensifying right-leaning trajectory in Bangladeshi politics, with parties resorting to religious narratives to sway voters.
In summary, the political landscape in Bangladesh is witnessing a surge in religiously charged content, with parties engaging in a tit-for-tat battle of religious accusations and provocations on social media platforms.
