How the diaspora community influences Bangladesh’s political landscape

Mozammel Hossain Toha left Bangladesh for Libya when he was a child, so it might be natural to assume that he is not particularly aware of the country's political landscape.

However, a glance at his Facebook timeline tells a different story. It is filled with posts about Bangladesh's national politics and policies. With nearly 90,000 followers, his posts frequently go viral and play a significant role in shaping public opinion.

His online activism played a very influential role during the July Uprising, helping Bangladeshi protesting youth gain international consensus at a time the then-government was hell-bent on silencing them.

Even now, as Bangladesh faces the prospect of a new political settlement, Toha continues to share his thoughts and insights, sparking discussions among Bangladeshis about how the country's elections, policies, constitution, and parliament — will evolve.

"As I live thousands of miles away from Bangladesh, the internet has always been an ideal platform for me to get in touch with fellow Bangladeshis. This helped me stay updated with the ground reality, and at one point, I also began to share my own opinions and insights," Toha shared in a conversation with The Business Standard.

His articles also get featured in various national news outlets, and he is a published author of several books in Bangla.

Shahadat Swadhin, a research scholar at South Asian University in New Delhi, adopts an academic approach to analysing the political affairs of Bangladesh. He shares his insights on Facebook as well as on international platforms with a view to providing a true representation of Bangladesh's political landscape.

Now a regular columnist, Swadhin believes that Bangladeshi youth possess an inherent political consciousness. After moving abroad, they often feel a greater sense of freedom to express their political views, largely due to the openness of social media.

"Additionally, living away from home fosters a deeper emotional attachment to their country, strengthening their sense of responsibility to engage with its political dynamics," he shared.

And the reason for social media becoming the key platform for this is also quite simple. During the authoritarian rule of Sheikh Hasina, there was a time when social media became the only platform standing when it came to posing a fighting spirit in the face of the autocrat, according to US-based political analyst Shafquat Rabbee Anik. 

Notably, Anik recently founded Centrist Nation, an English-language multimedia channel on social media platforms, aimed at combating disinformation and providing authentic news and insights about Bangladesh for the global English-speaking audience.

He recalled that during Hasima's regime, many local Bangladeshi social media personalities who stayed in the country spoke out against political injustice, with some even losing their lives.

"It was the expatriate social media commentators and political analysts who could  maximise their political impact due to the relative safety of being out of reach from the dictator's security apparatus. This gave rise to some of the most outspoken and impactful YouTubers and Facebookers, most of whom operated from liberal democracies in Europe and North America," Anik said.

He also pointed out the crucial role of the expatriate audience and readers, as Bangladeshi political content has a huge market among the Middle Eastern and Malaysian expat community. 

"While no major political analysts could operate  from these regions due to lack of political freedom in those geographies, the large audience from these countries amplified the messaging of social media personalities operating from Western countries by regularly commenting, sharing, and often donating," Anik added.

Dr Mohammed Abdul Baten, now a faculty member at Independent University Bangladesh, who also spent time in Sweden and the US for higher studies during Hasina's regime, observed that this phenomenon led to the rise of new political voices on social media, often more influential than traditional politicians.

"These digital influencers have amassed significant followings and reshaped how political mobilisation occurs, challenging conventional, ground-level political practices. Traditional politicians often struggle to grasp this shift, as digital platforms increasingly rival street-based activism in political impact," Baten explained.

He also believes some YouTubers and social media influencers emerged as key figures in "mobilising opposition against the last autocratic Hasina regime. Some played a visible role during the July Uprising and were instrumental in shaping narratives during the post-uprising political turbulence."

But at the same time, Baten also pointed out another concerning trend.

"Some social media personalities have resorted to exploiting populist themes such as religious bigotry, misogyny, or hostility toward indigenous communities, to gain traction among majoritarian audiences," he said.

He warned that this not only distorts political discourse but also complicates the prospects for inclusive and democratic reform in the post-July political landscape.

Meanwhile, whether or not Bangladeshi diaspora communities will continue to hold the same level of influence as before is another question worth considering. 

According to Toha, there has already been a noticeable decline in the popularity and engagement of posts by the diaspora community since 5 August last year, as many within Bangladesh have found their lost voice and are now more vocal.

"Instead, it's like the pro-Awami League influencers living abroad are now becoming more vocal, which contrasts with the opposite scenario in the past," Toha observed.

Anik also agreed that "now that Bangladeshis are gradually finding its political freedom back, it will be more difficult for expatriate social media personalities to stay relevant in the long run".

Nevertheless, the role of diaspora communities in post-Hasina Bangladesh is unlikely to diminish entirely. Instead, they may evolve into new and potentially more directly impactful roles. 

"Several members of the diaspora have been involved in the interim government's reform commissions and many continue to provide valuable and free expertise to members of the current cabinet on policy issues ranging from attracting FDI to building skills, to managing the threat of climate change," said Shamarukh Mohiuddin, a development practitioner based in Washington DC.

She also noted that the diaspora is actively engaged in fighting disinformation campaigns against Bangladesh and is working to strengthen bilateral ties with key international partners for the country's long-term prosperity.

"The new elected government should continue to engage the diaspora since this will enable innovative thinking on policy, and promote diaspora investment in Bangladesh," Mohiuddin suggested.