By Dr Md Momtazur Rahman,
As Bangladesh approaches the February parliamentary election, it is entering a decisive moment of political change in which technology is reshaping the very language and logic of democracy. Traditional forms of campaigning, such as, mass rallies, street-corner speeches, poster battles, and late-night television debates are rapidly losing their centrality. In their place a quieter but far more powerful arena of political competition has emerged and it is driven by algorithms, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). From Washington to New Delhi, elections are no longer confined to physical spaces; they now unfold across smartphone screens, social media ecosystems, and automated digital networks that can reach voters faster and more precisely than any human campaigner.
At the heart of this transformation is AI, arguably, the most influential political instrument of the digital age. It increasingly determines what information citizens consume, how political events are interpreted, and how voting decisions are formed. As Bangladesh stands on the threshold of a national election, it is entering a complex techno-political reality marked by limited institutional readiness, minimal regulatory oversight, and a dangerous underestimation of risk. The contest ahead is not merely between political parties or ideologies, but between human democratic judgment and algorithmic systems capable of shaping perceptions, guiding behavior, and redefining political choice itself.
AI-driven campaigning allows parties to analyze voters’ emotions, online behavior, and social networks, producing detailed psychological profiles from vast digital footprints. Instead of a single national message, campaigns can now deliver thousands of personalized narratives—targeting urban youth frustrated by unemployment, women concerned about security, farmers affected by climate change, or religious communities anxious about cultural change. Much of this influence remains invisible to the public, fragmenting political discourse into private, customized realities.
Even more alarming is the rise of deepfakes and synthetic media. Advanced AI can generate convincing fake videos, audio clips, or speeches in which political leaders appear to say or do things they never did. In a politically charged and religiously sensitive country like Bangladesh, such content can trigger communal tensions, undermine trust in institutions, discourage voter participation, or incite unrest—often spreading faster than journalists or fact-checkers can intervene. Global precedents from India, Slovakia, and Pakistan demonstrate how easily elections can be destabilized by these tools; Bangladesh, with limited fact-checking capacity, is especially vulnerable.
AI-powered social media algorithms further intensify polarization by prioritizing emotionally charged and divisive content. Bangladesh has already witnessed how online misinformation has fueled real-world violence in the past. As the election nears, algorithmic amplification of rumors, unverified allegations, or fabricated security threats could poison the electoral environment long before polling day.
Beyond persuasion lies another troubling dimension: surveillance. AI systems can now track movements, identify faces, map networks, and predict protest activity. In a country with expanding digital infrastructure, CCTV networks, biometric databases, and extensive telecom data, such tools raise serious concerns about privacy, political freedom, and democratic participation. Even the perception of surveillance can suppress dissent and discourage citizens from engaging freely in the political process.
The February election, therefore, will not be shaped solely by manifestos, rallies, or slogans. It will be influenced, often silently, by powerful digital systems that can manipulate narratives, amplify fear, and steer voter behavior in ways unseen in Bangladesh’s political history. This new reality demands urgent attention to regulation, transparency, and democratic safeguards if the promise of technology is not to become a threat to electoral integrity and democratic accountability.
The writer is a professor of English and Registrar at IUBAT-(International University of Business Agriculture and Technology), Dhaka. He can be reached at momtazur@iubat.edu
