Ali Newaz, Dhaka Correspondent
After a brief lull in recent months, the spread of fake news photocards has once again intensified, leaving many of the country’s leading media outlets grappling with the problem. False photocards circulated in the names of top-tier national newspapers are once again flooding social media, creating confusion and undermining public trust. Yet, a simple and effective solution to this challenge had already been introduced earlier by Daily Sabas Bangladesh.
Launched quietly on 25 December 2024, this young online news outlet began its journey without fanfare but with a clear sense of purpose. Guided by the slogan “No Bowing of the Head,” Daily Sabas Bangladesh set out to promote impartial, honest journalism and to establish itself as a truly people-oriented media platform. While the outlet may not yet match the country’s established national dailies in terms of age or scale, it has already emerged as a strong competitor in quality control, professionalism, and, most notably, innovation. In some areas, it has even assumed a pioneering role.
On 12 March 2025, Daily Sabas Bangladesh introduced what it described as an antidote to fake photocards by embedding QR codes into its news photocards. An article announcing this initiative was published at the time, explaining how Smart Photocards could help identify rumors and false news. Since then, the outlet has made it a standard practice to include story-specific QR codes in nearly every photocard it publishes on social media. These have been collectively branded as Smart Photocards.
The innovation quickly drew attention from readers, who responded positively to the idea. It also caught the interest of some leading national media organizations. One major outlet partially adopted the approach by adding QR codes linking to selected YouTube content on its photocards. However, no major Bangladeshi media organization has yet implemented the system consistently. As a result, many continue to suffer from the same problems of misinformation and credibility erosion.
In today’s social-media-dominated environment, rumors spread rapidly. Established media outlets are often left issuing repeated clarifications stating that certain photocards circulating in their name are fake. Meanwhile, the team at Daily Sabas Bangladesh observes the situation with confidence. The outlet maintains that it does not disseminate false news. If anyone doubts a headline attributed to Daily Sabas Bangladesh, they can simply scan the QR code on the photocard using Google Lens or a similar application and be directed to the official website, where they can verify whether the story was genuinely published.
The implementation of Smart Photocards has also contributed to increased website traffic. Typically, when a photocard is shared from a media outlet’s Facebook page, only the image circulates, while the accompanying comment containing the news link does not. As a result, readers often see the photocard but never reach the article itself, depriving the website of traffic. Daily Sabas Bangladesh benefits from a different dynamic. Because every photocard includes a QR code, it effectively functions as an alternative to a clickable link. When the photocard is shared, the access point to the full story is shared along with it.
This allows interested readers to scan the code and read the full article at their convenience, contributing to higher website traffic. Readers who are particularly cautious about the accuracy of the content they share also find reassurance in the presence of the QR code. Consequently, Daily Sabas Bangladesh has seen growth in views, reach, and engagement on Facebook. The outlet believes that sooner or later, all media organizations in the country will have to adopt Smart Photocards.
As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Fake news may not spread as aggressively in some other countries, which could explain why Smart Photocards have not yet been widely adopted by major global media organizations. Whether Daily Sabas Bangladesh will ultimately be recognized as the world’s first pioneer of the Smart Photocard format remains to be seen. However, it is not difficult to imagine a future in which global media giants such as the BBC, CNN, or Al Jazeera adopt similar systems out of a sense of responsibility to ensure news authenticity. When that day comes, the nation may well take pride in the fact that the idea originated in a quiet corner of Bangladesh, from a small media house called Daily Sabas Bangladesh.