The interim government of Bangladesh has issued a strong and carefully worded demand to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, calling for urgent and decisive action against the spread of online incitement, violence, and destabilising content. Authorities have expressed deep concern that Facebook has increasingly been used as a platform to provoke unrest, undermine democratic processes, and encourage attacks on journalists and media institutions during a particularly sensitive political period.
In an official letter sent on Friday by the National Cyber Security Agency, the government urged Meta to act responsibly and enforce its own community standards more rigorously. The letter emphasised that provocative and inflammatory Facebook content has allegedly contributed to real-world violence, attempts to disrupt the electoral process, and coordinated attacks on prominent media organisations. The government warned that failure to address these issues could further endanger public safety and democratic stability.
Meta has been specifically requested to impose heightened monitoring on all Bangladesh-related content until the completion of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the national referendum scheduled for February next year. According to the interim administration, Bangladesh is currently undergoing a fragile phase of democratic transition. During this time, misinformation, hate speech, and organised online provocation have had a direct and damaging impact on law and order, intensifying social tensions and insecurity.
The government’s concerns are grounded in a series of alarming recent incidents. The letter references the shooting of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, convenor of Inkilab Manch and a prospective independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency. On 12 December, just one day after the election schedule was announced, Hadi was shot in the head in Dhaka’s Purana Paltan area. He was initially treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later transferred to Evercare Hospital. As his condition worsened, he was flown to Singapore on 15 December for advanced medical treatment, where he later died while undergoing care.
Following the spread of news of Hadi’s death on social media, Dhaka experienced a disturbing wave of violence. The offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, two of the country’s most influential newspapers, along with the cultural institution Chhayanaut, were attacked and set ablaze. These incidents caused widespread panic among journalists and cultural workers, raising serious questions about press freedom, safety, and the rule of law. The interim government believes these attacks were not spontaneous, but rather part of a broader pattern of violence fuelled by Facebook-based incitement.
The letter further alleges that some individuals linked to the former Awami League government publicly endorsed Hadi’s death through Facebook posts. At the same time, other accounts openly called for violence against journalists and media organisations. Shortly after such posts circulated widely, coordinated acts of vandalism and arson followed. Despite repeated appeals from the government and civil society, Meta allegedly failed to take timely action against these accounts.
In response, the National Cyber Security Agency outlined several clear demands, including stricter enforcement of community standards for Bangladesh-related content, stronger moderation of Bangla-language posts, enhanced sentiment analysis and contextual review, and the swift removal of content that promotes violence, intimidation, or organised harm.
Meanwhile, Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, has urged citizens to actively report content that incites violence or terrorism. He announced that the National Cyber Security Agency will now accept complaints directly via WhatsApp and email.
The government has expressed hope that responsible action by Meta, combined with public vigilance, will help curb online incitement and protect Bangladesh’s democratic process and social harmony.