Voters in Bangladesh elect a new government on Feb. 12, but analysts warn their choice is threatened by a coordinated surge of disinformation, much of which originates from neighboring India.

The Muslim-majority nation of around 170 million people is preparing for its first election since a 2024 student-led uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina ¡ª who fled to neighboring India, where she has been hosted since by the Hindu-nationalist government.

Authorities say the scale of online manipulation ¡ª including sophisticated AI-generated images ¡ª has become so severe that a special unit has been created to curb false content.