France Offers Satellite, Cyber Capacity Support; Bangladesh Seeks Support in Advance Level Training in Fact Checking
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, the Special Assistant in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology under the Chief Adviser’s Office, held a meeting with France’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, Jean-Marc Sere-Charlet.
The meeting took place on 25 November at the Special Assistant’s office in the Department of Posts and Telecommunications at the Secretariat.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb said that the Government of Bangladesh is formulating various laws and technology-driven administrative frameworks—such as the Cyber Security Act, the Personal Data Protection Act, Digital Citizen Identity, and the e-Payment System. At the same time, work is underway on digital ecosystems and data interoperability with support from Estonia.
The Special Assistant further said that a national framework is being developed to counter misinformation/disinformation surrounding the election, and multiple agencies—including law-enforcement—are jointly working on this issue. In this context, fact-checking is a crucial component, and Bangladesh needs France’s assistance in providing advanced-level training for Bangladeshi fact-checkers.
He also stated that Bangladesh requires French support in satellite-image utilisation and enhancing technology-based service capabilities.
The French Ambassador said that both Bangladesh and France believe in democratic values. Due to France’s active role in the Indo-Pacific region, Bangladesh is particularly important to them. He added that French universities and engineering schools operate with government subsidies, making education comparatively affordable—an advantage for Bangladeshi students seeking to study in France.
The Ambassador also informed that France’s space agency and research institutions are interested in providing imagery and academic cooperation free of cost.
The meeting featured extensive discussions on digital cooperation, cyber security, the progress of the telecommunications sector, and future plans. Both sides expressed hope for even stronger collaboration in the future.
Julien Dieulle, Economic Counsellor at the French Embassy, was also present at the meeting.
DBTech/JU/IK/OR
