Social media key battleground for political parties after campaign deadline

With formal campaigning ending at 7:30am on Tuesday (10 February), political parties, along with their candidates and supporters, shifted their focus to digital platforms, using social media to maintain voter engagement ahead of tomorrow's national election and referendum.

TBS Highlights

Although the usual bickering and bantering among political parties and their supporters has continued over the past month or more on various social media platforms to drive engagement, it has now emerged as a key last-minute campaigning tool for parties and their candidates to push their messages and win support.

The Election Commission, however, said online campaigning will not be considered a violation of the electoral code of conduct. 

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah told reporters on Tuesday that internet and social media campaigning fall outside the restrictions that apply to physical campaign activities.

Since the deadline, verified Facebook pages of major political parties have remained active, publishing campaign songs, speeches, manifesto highlights, photo cards and short videos. 

Supporters and campaign teams are also using platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and X to amplify their messages, and this is likely to continue until voting ends at 4:30pm tomorrow.

As of this morning, the BNP's verified Facebook page had shared a campaign song promoting its manifesto and electoral symbol, the paddy sheaf, alongside the hashtag #VoteForBNP. 

Its media cell page also posted photo cards highlighting campaign pledges.

Brig Gen (Retd) Md Manzur Qader, a member of the BNP's election monitoring subcommittee, told The Business Standard, "Since there is no other alternative at the final moment, we have focused our last-minute presence on social media. Various groups may attempt to spread rumours, and we are also focusing on presenting accurate information in response."

Jamaat-e-Islami and its leaders were also active on social media. 

A visit to the party's official Facebook pages, including that of the Jamaat ameer and Oikyaboddho Bangladesh, showed posts featuring inspirational songs backing the scales symbol, short manifesto clips, cartoons and constituency-focused documentaries.

At the same time, candidates in 224 constituencies were posting photo cards and videos from their personal profiles, addressing voters directly. YouTubers were also publishing election-related digital content in the final hours before voting began.

Oliullah Noman, a member of Jamaat's election management committee, told TBS the contents should not be seen as direct campaigning. "These contents are being promoted around various issues. They are intended to inspire positive thinking among voters. Our digital team is coordinating this work."

Elsewhere, NCP leader Nahid Islam's verified page promoted allied candidates, while Gonodhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur shared posts alleging conspiracies against rival candidates.

At 10:30am today, Professor Mahbubur Rahman, coordinator of Islami Andolan Bangladesh's election committee, posted a video message calling for support for Hatpakha candidates and urging voters not to be misled by rumours about withdrawn contenders.

Earlier, at 9:22am, the Facebook page of Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque displayed sponsored content encouraging support for candidates running under the rickshaw symbol.

Rise of digital campaign services

The online activity of various parties over the past two days has highlighted the growing reliance on social media as a campaign tool, even after the official deadline, as parties seek to maintain visibility and shape voter perceptions nationwide.

The shift towards digital outreach also reflects a broader change in campaign strategy.

Third-party consulting firms, digital strategists and content creators have emerged as increasingly influential actors in the run-up to this election.

With the 13th national election expected to be more competitive after three largely one-sided polls, major parties and individual candidates have sought professional support for voter outreach, messaging and online engagement.

As demand grows, both established and newly formed agencies are offering election-related services. While Bangladesh does not yet have firms dedicated solely to political campaigns, several large and mid-sized agencies – traditionally focused on commercial brands – are now providing strategic consultancy to political actors adapting to technology-driven campaigning.