During periods of political volatility, a vested few seek to exploit the situation by spreading disinformation and rumours on social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, aiming to further destabilise the country.
Such rumours and disinformation have led to various untoward incidents, including vandalism, arson attacks, and anarchy across the nation.
Amid the recent student protests over quota reform, such groups have once again turned to social media to spread false information, exacerbating the country's vulnerability and instability.
In times of crisis, people need to be cautious about the sources of their information.
Experts advise that social media users should not react impulsively to any information they encounter - stressing that people should not take any information at face value, whether it be photographs, videos, or written texts on social media.
Handling misinformation is challenging, as individuals with differing political ideologies share information for various purposes, further destabilising the country.
Many Bangladeshis are also contributing to the spread of disinformation about the violence.
Senior journalist Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul suggests that the best way to combat rumours and disinformation is to widely disseminate accurate information.
"The more we can disseminate real information, correct information, the more we will be able to tackle disinformation and rumours," he said.
"We do not know exactly how many people have died in the recent unrest surrounding the student quota reform movement. Different newspapers are publishing different numbers. If this information came from a single source, then we could have real information," he added.
But should people rely solely on mainstream media for accurate information?
Experts caution that some mainstream media outlets engage in poor journalism.
"If any news comes through social media, one should give it a second thought because anyone can post anything on social media," Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul explains.
He advised that people should also approach mainstream media reports with caution.
The impact of social media information is substantial, as it spreads rapidly to a large audience.
Therefore, social media users must be more cautious about the content they read or watch.
Many individuals deliberately share videos and images from different incidents and times to create trouble.
University of Dhaka’s Institute of Information Technology (IIT) Director Professor BM Mainul Hossain points out that social media does not share curated content.
“There is no editorial board or responsible person, it is free media where anyone can post anything,” he said.
"Social media users must use these platforms responsibly and post correct information. On the other hand, people who read or watch videos on social media should be careful about any information and double-check it," he added.
The academician emphasised that social media users should not completely rely on the information shared on these platforms and avoid falling into the trap of deliberately misleading videos, pictures, and texts and must cross-check any information with authentic sources before reacting.
