Compensation Will Be Provided to Minorities: Nahid Islam
Despite a few incidents of minority persecution occurring in various parts of the country after August 5, these events have been significantly amplified by international media. Those involved in these incidents will be brought to justice, and the affected minority communities will receive compensation.
Md. Nahid Islam, Advisor to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation led by Dr. Susan Weiss, UNESCO’s Bangladesh representative, at the ministry's office in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Nahid Islam expressed concern over the misinformation being spread through social media and international media aimed at discrediting the country’s movements and the current government. He urged everyone to remain vigilant against this orchestrated propaganda.
During the meeting, Dr. Susan Weiss conveyed UNESCO's interest in collaborating with Bangladesh on artificial intelligence (AI) projects. She sought the advisor’s consent to continue the ongoing AI Research and Management (AI RAM) project, which assesses the country’s capacity to utilize AI effectively.
Nahid Islam underscored the significance of AI for Bangladesh, noting its importance in keeping pace with global advancements. He affirmed that the Ministry of Information Technology would fully support the continuation of the AI RAM project. He also mentioned that the National Steering Committee would review progress in this area.
The advisor also mentioned that compensation would be provided to journalists who were injured during recent movements. He acknowledged that some journalists had been accused of collaborating with the "fascist" government, leading to public outrage and legal action in various places. Several individuals have been arrested in connection with these cases. To ensure everyone's legal rights, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has formed a committee to provide legal assistance.
Information and Communication Officer Nure Jannat Proma highlighted that UNESCO expressed interest in working with Bangladesh on media reform, the protection of female journalists, and cybersecurity.
Chief of the Communications Department Nusrat Amin shared UNESCO's ongoing efforts in various countries to address the credibility of social and new media information sources, adding that they are eager to collaborate with Bangladesh in this regard.
UNESCO policy analyst Afzal Hossain Sarwar, a2i Program Director Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan, and UNDP Bangladesh’s Senior Governance Specialist Shila Tasneem Haque were also present at the meeting.
