The government has clarified the figures surrounding its takedown requests to Google, dismissing allegations that it is attempting to control online content

The government today clarified the number of content removal requests it sent to Google, assuring the public that no platform was asked to take down newspaper reports or general social media posts except in cases involving defamatory misinformation.

“The government has not asked any platform to remove reports by Bangladeshi media, social media posts, videos, reels, online articles, or politically critical content by domestic critics, except in matters related to misinformation, propaganda, or character-assassination campaigns,” a government statement said tonight.

It explained that requests related to misinformation, propaganda, or defamatory content are forwarded to the BTRC through law enforcement agencies and the National Cyber Security Agency.

The government also stressed that it does not run any bot networks—such as the Awami League’s CRI or similar groups—to influence or control social media.

“Neither BTRC, NTMC, nor any Bangladeshi agency has the authority to directly remove social media content. All requests must be submitted to the respective platforms,” the statement added.

Citing Google’s Transparency Report for January–June 2025, it noted that Bangladesh made 279 requests—less than one-third of the 867 filed by the Awami League government in June–December 2022.

In July–December 2024, Bangladesh had submitted only 153 requests, which was less than one-fifth of the Awami League’s highest six-month total and less than half of the party’s lowest figure of 591 requests recorded in June–December 2023.

“These figures clearly show that the current government is filing far fewer requests than the previous Awami League government,” it said, adding that Google listed about 65 percent of these requests as lacking sufficient information, meaning they were not “purposefully targeted.”

The statement said Bangladesh faced an “undesirably high level of misinformation campaigns” between January and June 2025, including “continuous misinformation and propaganda spread by media in a neighboring country.”

Several reports were therefore submitted to Google, it said.

It added that during this period, the Awami League was banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and as trials began at the International Crimes Tribunal over killings during the July mass uprising, the party launched “persistent misinformation campaigns” online, including calls for terrorist acts.

“Maintaining a safe cyberspace, political stability, communal harmony, and the protection of religious, racial, and ethnic groups—both online and offline—is part of the government’s daily responsibility,” the statement said.

As social media and cyberspace have become central to political and social stability, Bangladesh—like other countries—must report certain issues for regulatory purposes, it said. Some takedown requests also related to online gambling.

Since Google does not have separate categories for misinformation, propaganda, or character assassination, the statement said these submissions appear under the “government criticism” category—yet still amount to less than one-fifth of the Awami League government’s total.

The government expressed disappointment that several Bangla and English media outlets published stories on Google’s data without seeking official clarification.

“The tendency to publish sensational reports while obscuring the actual facts—and to present fragmented news without the government’s explanation on issues vital to societal stability—cannot be considered responsible journalism,” it said.

The January–June 2025 period saw over a hundred protests, cases of mob violence, communal incidents, and attacks on shrines, some resulting in deaths, the statement noted. Political intolerance and retaliation were also observed, prompting the government to submit reports to platforms as part of its routine efforts to maintain harmony and stability.

The government added that Bangladesh has made “remarkable progress” in international freedom of speech and internet freedom indices, citing recognition from the World Bank and the International Telecommunication Union.

Notably, Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net 2025 report shows Bangladesh achieving the highest improvement in internet freedom worldwide this year, with its score rising from 40 to 45—its best performance in seven years. The report credits the progress to the fall of the previous government in August 2024 and subsequent reforms undertaken by the interim administration.