Speakers including an activist, a journalist and a researcher said at a panel discussion on Thursday that disinformation was spread to spark division within communities and that disinformation should be replaced by the right information.
They also said that the government should protect women and marginalised people from fake news and disinformation.
The discussion was organised by the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh in collaboration with Correctiv and Frag Den Staat at Drik Gallery in the capital.
The two-day workshop on navigating disinformation, fact-checking and digital awareness comprises lectures, panel discussion, and roundtable discussion under a regional project titled Alternative Futures.
The director of Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, Frank Werner, delivered the welcome speech at the event, while the panel discussion was moderated by fact-checker and journalist Qadaruddin Shishir.
Activist and researcher Samina Luthfa, head of Star Multimedia Ananta Yusuf and media and information researcher Apon Das were present at the event.
鈥楾he psychology behind the spreading of disinformation is preoccupied with any ideas, beliefs and thoughts,鈥� said Qadaruddin Shishir.
鈥楧isinformation should be replaced by the right information instead of suppressing the producer of disinformation,鈥� said Samina Luthfa. 聽 聽
Accuracy is important instead of faster information because disinformation inflicts harm on a person, organisation or country, Ananta Yusuf said, adding that media houses should build disinformation cells to resist disinformation.
鈥楽ometimes media houses produce disinformation for political intentions, which should be noticeable because disinformation is a criminal act,鈥� said Apon Das.
The workshop also comprises an online lecture where lecturer in Humanities and Pedagogy in the School of Education at La Trobe University Urmee Chakma makes her presentation titled Disinformation and its impact in the context of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The workshop will end on Friday.
