Speakers, at a programme in Dhaka, on Sunday said that lack of democratic values lead to the spread of misinformation, resulting violent attacks or even death.
They said that the journalists should play pivotal role in countering or fighting against misinformation and promote the facts.
Centre for Governance Studies organised the event titled 鈥楾he War Against Misinformation Continues: CMIB Wrap Up鈥� at the EMK Center, in the capital, to mark the conclusion of a year-long project titled 鈥楥onfronting Misinformation in Bangladesh,鈥� conducted in collaboration with the US Department of State.
Addressing the programme, Stephen Ibelli, public affairs counsellor at the US embassy in Bangladesh, said that misinformation had resulted 20 deaths in Nigeria, when people drank contaminated water to cure from Ebola.
He said that the US government continuously was supporting capacity building, promoting physical and digital security of the journalists, working amid intense pressure.
He said that Bangladesh journalists faced more challenges than the journalists of New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.
Stephen Ibelli underscored the pivotal role of journalists in maintaining the pillars of democracy, stating, 鈥楯ournalists are the cornerstone of the state and democracy; hence, we prioritise their welfare.鈥�
He emphasised the importance of media literacy and urged journalists to convey the lessons, learned from CGS sessions.
Zillur Rahman, executive director of CGS, provided an overview of the project鈥檚 key activities and achievements.
He highlighted the persistent challenges of misinformation and disinformation, expressing his belief that despite completing the event, smear campaigns and misinformation would continue.
He stressed the vital link between democracy and the prevalence of misinformation.
鈥榃ithout democracy, misinformation and disinformation will proliferate in the country.鈥� Zillur Rahman asserted resilience against such campaigns, stating, 鈥楴either misinformation, disinformation nor smear campaigns will deter our resolve.鈥�
Over the past 12 months, CGS has organised a total of 14 dialogue and training sessions across the country, aiming to dissect the mechanisms of misinformation, while addressing the challenges associated with combating it in local and national levels.
The project engaged various stakeholders, including journalists, media experts, and fact-checkers in devising and implementing effective strategies to combat the proliferation of false and misleading information.
The closing event served as a testament to the successful completion of this initiative.