Election Commission will begin its round the clock watch on social media from tomorrow to curb propaganda and fake news ahead of the general elections.

“A monitoring cell of the commission will begin monitoring the social media from tomorrow,” EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed told reporters this afternoon.

Earlier today, he met internet regulator Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and law enforcement agencies including Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and elite force Rapid Action Battalion (Rab).

Punitive steps under Digital Security act and other laws will be taken against perpetrators spreading propaganda or fake news over the election in the social media, the EC secretary said.

WHEN IS THE ELECTION?

Election Commission has revised polls schedule, deferring the 11th general election by a week to December 30 – a decision taken in November.

As per the schedule, November 28 was the deadline to submit nomination papers, December 2 was the date for scrutiny and December 9 the last date for withdrawal.

Throughout the last half of November, major political parties were busy selecting their chosen candidates for the 300 constituencies across Bangladesh.

Though electioneering is prohibited until the notice of the Election Commission, its enforcement went largely unheeded on the social media. Publicity of the aspirants were in play on Facebook and other social networks since November.