Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mostafa Jabbar has stressed on the need for teachers and parents to acquire skills in digital devices in order to meet the challenges of the digital age without imposing the responsibility of online engagement on children.
He called on parents to apply for parental guidance in the use of digital devices, saying that as the country becomes more digital, digital crime is on the rise and the importance of digital security is increasing. However, children cannot be isolated from digital devices or the Internet. The child needs to be involved in the digital device by following the parental guidance for their safety.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at an exchange meeting on child protection context and tasks organized by the non-governmental organization Breaking the Silence at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital on Sunday.
BTRC Chairman Shyam Sundar Sikder, Director General of Social Services Sheikh Rafiqul Islam, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs ANM Azizul Haque, Director of Save the Children Abdullah Al Mamun, N.C. Members Prof. Mashiuzzaman and Prof. Reazul Hasan and Roxana Sultana, Executive Director of Breaking the Silence spoke on the occasion.
Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Mostafa Jabbar highlighted the various programs and initiatives taken by the government to keep the internet safe and said that the more we are going digital, the more digital security risk is increasing. In this regard, we have already been able to acquire technical capabilities. Dangerous sites, including 26,000 porn sites and 6,000 gambling sites, have been shut down. We have been very successful in persuading them not to destroy our culture through social media and we hope to get more benefits in this regard in future.
In her speech, Tasmima Hossain emphasized the need for joint efforts to protect children and said that we must break the silence. she noted that the silence has already begun to break.
BTRC Chairman Shyam Sundar Sikder stressed on the need for awareness of parents to ensure safe internet for children. He gave a brief overview of the work being done by the government, especially the BTRC and the Department of Posts and Telecommunications on digital security. He said that BTRC has formed its own digital security cell. BTRC maintains all-round communication with social media including Facebook. Through CTDR, BTRC is shutting down sites that are spreading terrorism, militancy, sectarianism and anti-state propaganda. He said the government is doing all kinds of work to build safety and awareness of children.
Roxana Sultana, executive director of the organization, highlighted the Breaking the Silence program on child protection since 1994, saying, “We want a culture of breaking the silence.” She said that this discussion meeting was organized to break that silence. She mentioned that the cooperation of all is required for this.