FB posts for 'Dr Yunus’ 5-year rule' exposed as clickbait scheme: Dismislab

A coordinated social media campaign promoting Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus to remain as Bangladesh's interim leader for five years has gained traction on Facebook. 

The campaign, involving over 50 pages and groups, uses Dr Yunus' name and image in paid advertisements to boost engagement for unrelated commercial content, such as food, cosmetics, and clothing, according to a report of Dismislab, a Bangladeshi fact-checking outlet.

Dismislab's investigation revealed that many of these pages, often recently created, share identical posts with slogans like "We want Dr Yunus in power for five years." 

These posts, featuring doctored images and emotional captions, urge users to like or follow the pages, redirecting them to clickbait sites or phishing links. 

The campaigns were run amid political uncertainty, with Dr Yunus leading the interim government since August 2024, following Sheikh Hasina's ousting. 

While some posts align with pro-government narratives, others appear designed to farm social media engagement rather than reflect genuine political support.

Read full report here<<