‘Want Yunus in power for five years’ slogan used in Facebook ads to boost page engagement: Report

A number of Facebook pages in Bangladesh are reportedly using political slogans backing Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, particularly "We want Dr Yunus in power for five years," - to gain likes and engagement for their unrelated business content, according to a new investigation by Dismislab.

In a report titled "They want Dr Yunus for five years, but only to farm 'likes' for their pages", published yesterday (28 May), Dismislab found that between early April and mid-May, at least 47 Facebook pages ran 55 paid advertisements using the slogan. 

Most of these pages typically post content related to food, cosmetics, clothing, and vlogs - not politics, said the report.

"These ads used Dr Yunus's name and image to attract attention, often accompanied by calls to 'like' or 'follow' the page," the report stated.

Dismislab's researchers used Meta's Ad Library and Bangla-language keywords to identify relevant ads. They then analysed each page's 20 most recent posts and found that nearly 90% had not posted political content prior to running the advertisements.

One such ad came from The Tasty Apron, a Dhaka-based restaurant page. According to Dismislab, the ad read: "If you want Dr. Yunus to remain in power for five years, press the option like on the right to stay with us." None of the page's other recent posts contained political messaging.

Dismislab notes that under Meta's own policy on political and social issue advertising, such content is supposed to carry a disclaimer clearly identifying the sponsor and the political nature of the material. Yet none of the reviewed advertisements carried any such disclosures.

"While some ads were later removed by Meta, most remained active during the investigation and appear to have bypassed the platform's detection systems," the outlet observed.

The slogan first gained prominence in April 2025, following a Facebook post by Sarjis Alam, a leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP). Although initially framed as a political position, its widespread appearance in non-political advertising quickly turned it into "clickbait."

While many political parties called the slogan undemocratic and unrealistic, Dismislab's report sheds light on a more pressing concern - how political slogans are being co-opted for commercial gains, blurring the line between political discourse and promotional manipulation.

Experts cited in the report also warned that even if such slogans appear on non-political business pages, they carry "undeniable political relevance," especially in a tense and transitional political climate.