Govt denies content control in Google takedown data

"The government didn't request any platform to remove news of Bangladeshi newspapers, social media posts, videos, reels, online articles or politically critical content by domestic critics, except misinformation, propaganda and misinformation-based character assassination campaign," a government statement said tonight.

It explained that requests concerning misinformation, propaganda or defamatory content aimed at character assassination are forwarded to the BTRC through law enforcement agencies and the National Cyber Security Agency.

The government also stressed that it does not operate any bot network such as the Awami League's CRI or similar groups to influence or control social media.

"Neither BTRC nor NTMC, nor any Bangladeshi agency or institution, has the authority to take down social media content directly. Therefore, any request must be submitted to the social media and tech platforms," the statement added.

An analysis of Google's Transparency Report for January-June 2025 shows that Bangladesh submitted 279 requests, less than one-third of the 867 requests made during the Awami League government's June-December 2022 period, it said.

In the previous six months, July-December 2024, Bangladesh submitted only 153 requests, which was less than one-fifth of the Awami League's highest six-month total, and less than half of the AL government's lowest figure of 591 requests recorded in June-December 2023, the statement read, reports BSS. 

"These numbers clearly show that the current government is sending far fewer requests than the previous Awami League government, which is not significant," it said, noting that Google's report shows 65 percent of all requests fall under the 'not enough information' category, meaning "these issues were not purposefully targeted."

The statement said that Bangladesh was subjected to a "highly undesirable level of misinformation campaigns" from inside and outside the country between January and June 2025, including "continuous misinformation and propaganda from media in a neighboring country."

The government has had to submit several reports against these to Google as a platform, it added.

Besides, during this period, activities of Awami League was banned under anti-terrorism act, and as trials began at the International Crimes Tribunal regarding killings during the July mass uprising, the statement said, "AL started persistent misinformation campaigns against Bangladesh and the government in cyberspace, including calls to carry out terrorist acts".