Photo : Collected

DHAKA, April 16, 2025 (BSS) - A two-day long digital verification and fact-checking training, organized by the Information and Communication Technology Division, for public relations officers (PRO) of various ministries concluded today.

ICT Division Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury was present at the concluding ceremony of the training held at ICT Tower in city’s Agargaon, said a press release here.

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser and in-charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb inaugurated the training as the chief guest on Tuesday.

During his inaugural speech, Faiz Ahmed said a lot of misinformation is constantly being spread on social media. Immediate action must be taken against these, he added.

After August 5, he said, Bangladesh has faced the biggest cyber war in its history. Now, misinformation, false information and cyber war have increased compared to any other time, he added.

“In this situation, we have no option but to increase our capacity. The spread of false information currently being spread in cyberspace will increase centering the upcoming elections. We must be prepared to prevent it.

 We must remember that false information destroys the social harmony of the country,” he said.

Therefore, there is no room for minimizing or avoiding this issue, Faiz Ahmed said.

In his closing remarks, Shish Haider Chowdhury said, "In the current digital age, fake news and misleading information are spreading rapidly, which can have a negative impact on government activities.

 If public relations officers acquire the skills to verify information, they can play a more effective role in reaching out the government's real message to the public."

Deputy Chief Information Officer A K M. Kamrul Ahsan working at the Police Headquarters, PRO (Deputy Chief Information Officer) of the Ministry of Home Affairs Md. Faisal Hasan, PRO (Deputy Chief Information Officer) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Affairs (Deputy Chief Information Officer) Dipankar Bar, PRO (Senior Information Officer) of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works Md. Alamgir Hossain and PRO of the Ministry of Labor and Employment Abdul Malek, among others, expressed their opinions.

The training were facilitated by leading fact-checker and media personality in Bangladesh Qadruddin Shishir, a disinformation researcher and trainer Minhaj Aman and an information integrity researcher Maruf Ahmed.