Minister Calls for Collective Action to SafeguardInformation Integrity and Build Trusted Digital Ecosystem

Dhaka, 18 August:

A policy dialogue in Dhaka today called for urgent and coordinated action by the government, media, digital platforms, civil society, academia, youth and development partners to address the growing challenges posed by misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated content and to strengthen information integrity, public trust and social cohesion in Bangladesh.
Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology & Science and Technology Faqir Mahbub Anam, who attended the dialogue as the Chief Guest, said Bangladesh’s rapid digital transformation has created new opportunities for citizens to access information, communicate, learn, conduct business and receive public services. However, he stressed that ensuring access to reliable, credible and trustworthy information is essential to building a trusted, inclusive and resilient digital society.
The Minister said information integrity is not limited to combating misinformation and disinformation; it is also about strengthening public trust, social cohesion and meaningful citizen participation. He emphasized that building a credible, safe and trusted information ecosystem requires coordinated efforts by the government, technology platforms, media organizations, civil society and citizens.
He further said responsible journalism and quality content across both traditional and digital media are particularly important in today’s rapidly changing information environment. Harmful, misleading and manipulative content can have serious consequences for society, particularly for children and young people. The government therefore seeks the cooperation of all stakeholders to address these challenges and promote a safer, more responsible and inclusive information environment.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the government remains committed to building a safe, inclusive and trusted digital environment, the Minister said. He added that active support and cooperation from the media, technology platforms, civil society and all other stakeholders would be essential to achieving this goal.
The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam said fact-checking, credibility and accuracy have become indispensable to good governance and public trust in an era of rapid technological advancement. He said social media has democratized freedom of expression while simultaneously increasing the risk of misinformation spreading rapidly.
As journalists and institutions, our responsibility to verify facts before sharing them is now greater than ever, he said, adding that The Daily Star remains deeply committed to ethical journalism and is strengthening its fact-checking and verification initiatives to respond to emerging challenges.
The dialogue highlighted the growing sophistication of digital threats. According to recent UNDP Bangladesh analysis presented at the event, more than half of the online content studied contained false or misleading information, while more than one-fifth involved AI-manipulated media.

Participants discussed the need to strengthen policy and regulatory frameworks, ensure greater accountability of digital platforms, promote digital safety and address technology-facilitated harms. They also emphasized responsible journalism, media and information literacy, and the importance of building greater resilience among citizens so that they can critically assess information and participate meaningfully in public discourse.
The event brought together senior officials and experts from the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Election Commission, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, The Asia Foundation, media organizations and civil society, among others.
The policy dialogue, titled “Information Integrity and Social Cohesion in Bangladesh: Policy, Platform Accountability and Collective Action,” was organized by UNDP Bangladesh and its partners, with support from the Government of Germany.
The dialogue brought together government officials, policymakers, academics, media professionals, civil society representatives and development partners to examine emerging digital threats and identify concrete and coordinated policy responses to strengthen information integrity, social cohesion and public trust in Bangladesh.