registered online news portals stands at 474
Fact-Checking Committee Working Around the Clock to Counter Rumours: Information Minister
Bangladesh's Information Minister has informed Parliament that a specialised fact-checking committee is working around the clock to identify and counter misinformation on social media and online platforms.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Jahir Uddin Swapan has said that a specialised Rumour Prevention and Fact-Checking Committee at the Department of Information is working 24 hours a day to combat misinformation on social media and online platforms.
He made the statement on Monday (June 22) while responding to a written question from Member of Parliament Md. Abdul Mannan during a parliamentary session.
The minister said the committee promptly verifies information circulating on social media and, after confirming the facts, immediately distributes official statements and rebuttals to both government and private media outlets.
According to him, in addition to the headquarters of the Department of Information, regional information offices across the country are closely monitoring online news platforms and social media activities within their respective jurisdictions. The department is also publishing awareness-focused articles and feature stories in newspapers and online media to increase public awareness about misinformation, disinformation and cyber harassment.
In his question, MP Md. Abdul Mannan sought information on whether any awareness programs had been implemented under the ministry to prevent rumors in online media and social networking platforms, particularly in Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria.
Responding to another question during the session, the minister provided an overview of the country's media landscape. He said Bangladesh currently has four state-owned television channels and 55 privately approved television channels. Among them, a total of 39 channels, including the four state-owned broadcasters, are currently on air.
He further stated that the country now has 1,436 daily newspapers in circulation. Of these, 593 are published from Dhaka and 843 from other districts. The number of registered online news portals stands at 474, including 282 standalone online news portals, 131 online editions of daily newspapers and 61 regional online news portals.
The parliamentary session, which began at 3:00 pm, was chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
//DBTech/JN/EK//
