Fighting Falsehoods: Government Launches Digital Fact-Checking Training for Info Officers

In light of the increasing spread of misinformation, disinformation, and cyber warfare, the Government of Bangladesh has initiated a digital upskilling program for its public information officers to enhance their ability to verify facts and ensure a free flow of accurate information in the digital era.

As part of this initiative, for the first time, officials from 64 district information offices, 4 upazila information offices, and 7 divisional information offices will receive training on Digital Identification and Fact-Checking. The program is being spearheaded by the ICT Division.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony held on Sunday afternoon at the ICT Tower’s specialist conference room, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md. Mahfuz Alam emphasized the need for capacity building in rural areas. "In villages, the scope for verifying misinformation and fake news is limited. With the rise of free information flow, false news and rumors are inevitable. Anyone can now spread rumors on Facebook or YouTube. To combat this, you must be trained and made well-equipped and up-to-date," he stated.

He further noted, "Not just from India, even from villages, rumors are being spread. There is a narrative being pushed that during the July uprising, students killed police officers, and there are also hate campaigns targeting religious imams. Information officers must be vigilant."

In his special remarks, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Principal Adviser of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, warned, "Recently, artificial intelligence has been used to spread organized misinformation. If necessary, focused group training will be arranged to counter this."

Addressing the participants, he said, "You work with extensive data. Therefore, ensuring the accuracy of that data is essential. With the upcoming national election, there are concerns that Bangladesh could face the largest cyber warfare in its history. The public must be made aware of misinformation, disinformation, and rumors."

Chief Information Officer Nizamul Kabir, another special guest, remarked, "Following the Principal Adviser’s directive, this training was launched within ten days. At the district level, cooperation from Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police will make this training impactful. However, those who spread rumors are well-organized and powerful."

The event was chaired by ICT Secretary Shish Hayder Chowdhury, while Additional Secretary of the ICT Division Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan delivered the welcome address.

The closing ceremony, scheduled for May 5, will be attended by Dr. Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, as the chief guest, and Mahbuba Farzana, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, as special guest.

Earlier, on April 15–16, a two-day training on the same topic was held for public relations officers of various ministries.