Fragmented, decontextualised videos on religiously sensitive issues spreading misinformation

In the run-up to the 13th national parliamentary election, fragmented video clips of political leaders and activists are being circulated on social media in ways that misleadingly frame their remarks in religiously sensitive terms.

In many cases, the captions accompanying these videos directly accuse the speakers of insulting religion.

In the comment sections, other users respond with outrage, hurling abusive labels such as “atheist,” “kafir,” “apostate,” and “religion trader” at the individuals featured.

Fact-checking organisation Dismislab has identified these trends after analysing five such videos that have recently gone viral.

According to experts, religion is a particularly powerful tool for influencing public sentiment in the Bangladeshi context. Accusations of religious insult can quickly escalate into major controversies, and this tactic is frequently employed by various actors during election periods.

Dismislab’s analysis indicates that, in some instances, these videos are being disseminated not only by supporters of rival political parties but also by digital content creators. In several cases, expatriate content creators have also played a role in amplifying this trend.

Of the five videos examined, Dismislab verified two in detail. In one clip, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) joint secretary general Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohel is heard saying, “If necessary, priests from the Dhakeshwari Temple will be able to come to Baitul Mukarram to perform worship…”

Only this 10-second excerpt was circulated online. In another 12-second clip, former member of parliament and BNP leader Papia is heard saying, “Tobacco is extremely harmful to the body, and Islam is extremely harmful to religion.”

In neither case were the statements manipulated or technologically altered, nor was any deepfake technology used. However, selective portions of the original speeches were extracted in a way that altered the intended meaning and framed the remarks misleadingly.

Experts explain that presenting real statements in fragmented form and outside their original context is a technique known as decontextualisation. Through this method, the meaning and intent of a statement are distorted by stripping it of its surrounding context.

Professor Suman Rahman of the Department of Media Studies and Journalism at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh believes that the spread of such videos ahead of elections not only damages candidates’ reputations but also deceives voters.

“Casting a vote freely is a voter’s right. I want to vote based on proper information. When I am given false or misleading information, I form a negative perception of a candidate on that basis. That directly affects my vote,” he pointed out.

Suman Rahman further noted that this practice is not limited to election periods.

“Disinformation and misinformation circulate all the time. One of the biggest techniques used to spread false information is decontextualisation,” he said. “What is being quoted or claimed may be factually correct, but it was originally said in a different context and with a different meaning. When it is cut out and presented separately, the context changes—and so does the meaning.”

Describing the current situation as one of propaganda warfare, Suman Rahman added, “During elections, every speech at public rallies, every movement of candidates, is closely monitored and recorded. Significant investment is made in election-time campaigning. With the election approaching, propagandists are making every possible effort to strike at their opponents by any means.”