Names such as Óscar Fernández-Taranco (former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs) and Sujata Singh (former Foreign Secretary of India) have cropped up in discussions. Domestic political problems have been taken to the United Nations, the Commonwealth, or the US embassy. Such realities have created a public perception that attaining power requires the backing of global or regional powers. It is in this context that endless speculation and debate arise over which party is aligned with which “foreign power.” This card is constantly played in election campaigns to undermine opponents.

The context of this election, however, is somewhat different. Awami League, ousted from power in the 2024 mass uprising, is unable to take part in the election. The contest is set to be between the BNP and an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, its former coalition partner. In this election, there is no visible surge in direct appeals to, or overt intervention by, foreign diplomats and embassies. Yet the “long shadow of foreigners” looms large over the electoral arena. It is being signalled through video content by social media influencers and statements by political leaders.

Although the election is taking place on Bangladeshi soil, Delhi and Washington are powerfully present in the campaign arena. In addition, alongside Islamabad, Ankara has newly entered the discussions.
This election has essentially become a battle over narratives. Party manifestos no longer appear to be a priority for political parties. Instead, candidates are making direct populist promises as they move from constituency to constituency. But the main contest is about capturing voters’ minds through narrative-building. Social media influencers, synchronized messaging by party leaders, AI-generated deepfake videos and images, and bot armies -- these four have become the common weapons in the arsenal of narrative construction.