As the country is heading toward the general election on February 12, the use of religiously sensitive rhetoric -- often clipped and taken out of context -- is increasingly being used to hush opponents and influence voters by creating political narratives on social media, according to a Dismislab analysis of election-related fact-checks.

In recent weeks, several short video clips featuring political leaders’ remarks on religion have gone viral, sparking outrage and prompting thousands of angry reactions and comments branding them as “atheist” or “enemy of religion.”

This practice has raised concern among media analysts and election observers about voter manipulation and misinformation.

Although investigations show that the videos were not technically altered, selective clipping and the removal of context have significantly changed their meaning and are being strategically weaponised to influence voter sentiment ahead of the polls.

For example, a video of BNP leader Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel recently spread on Facebook. In the video, he is heard saying, “People will be able to go and offer prayers at the Dhakeshwari temple, and priests of the temple will be able to perform puja at Baitul Mukarram when necessary.”

Verification shows, it is not his full statement. A 10-second portion was cut from more than three minutes of his speech posted on the Facebook page of the daily Samakal.

In the video, he says, “If they get the chance, they will say such things, they will issue such fatwas that devotees will be able to go and offer prayers at the Dhakeshwari temple, and priests of the temple will be able to perform puja at Baitul Mukarram. To come to power, they will issue such bizarre and strange fatwa. The people of this country, the religious people, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians of this country together will, In Sha Allah, resist these religion traders’ efforts through the ballot.”

Dismislab said the BNP leader was criticising a political party. But by not keeping his full statement and cutting out a specific portion with a misleading headline attached, confusion was created.

In another instances, a portion of a statement by BNP-nominated candidate for Manikganj-1 constituency, SA Jinnah Kabir, has recently been circulated.

It was claimed that he threatened, if BNP is not voted to power, the Hindu community and supporters of Awami League would not be allowed to stay in the country.

The video was seen being shared on the verified Facebook page of the Bangladesh Awami League, the Basherkella page, and some Facebook pages opened in the name of media outlets.

Many shared the clip and demanded his immediately arrest.

Verification, however, shows that the 28-second video of a meeting organised with members of the Hindu community in Baniajuri union of Ghior upazila is being circulated with a different claim by removing the full context.

On the verified Facebook profile of SA Jinnah Kabir, the almost eight-minute long full video of his speech is available. There, criticising the role of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971, he says: “If the Awami League were in the election, there would be Awami League-BNP competition. There would be no fear regarding our independence. BNP is there; the Awami League is not. Who is BNP competing with -- you also know, we also know. Jamaat-e-Islami with the daripalla symbol will compete with BNP on February 12. This Jamaat-e-Islami, during the War of Independence in 1971, openly stood against Bangalees, opposed independence, and handed over followers of the Sanatan religion to camps.”

The video is not evidence of threatening followers of the Sanatan religion, but rather part of criticism of Jamaat-e-Islami, which has been presented misleadingly by removing context, Dismislab said.

According to election observers, such incidents reflect a broader trend in which religious language is used, manipulated, or reframed to polarise voters.

Before elections, the circulation of such videos not only damages the reputations of candidates but also misleads voters, says Dr. Suman Rahman, professor of Media Studies and Journalism at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.

“Casting a vote freely is a voter’s right. I will vote after understanding properly. When you give me false information, I form a negative opinion about a candidate based on that. That affects my vote,” he said.

Dr. Suman Rahman said decontextualisation is a major technique of spreading false or misleading information.

"That is, the statement being quoted or claimed may be true, but it was originally said in a different context. When it is cut and circulated, the context changes, and so does the meaning," he said.

“If someone is proven to have insulted religion, it becomes a major issue... It’s not just religious parties -- candidates and their rivals all use religion in various ways. If such content is circulated, it becomes very easy to influence public sentiment.”