Staff Reporter:
Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon yesterday said that the foremost prerequisite for the free flow of information is accurate and objective data.
“While freedom of information is desirable, preventing misinformation and ensuring clean information remains the biggest challenge for society and the state,” he said.
He made these remarks while addressing as the chief guest at a seminar marking the World Press Free-dom Day 2026 held at North South University (NSU) in the capital, organized by the university’s Me-dia, Communication and Journalism (MCJ) Department.
The World Press Freedom Day, celebrated annually on May 3, highlights the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluates global media independence, defends media against attacks, and honors journal-ists who lost their lives.
The minister said that the free flow of information is as essential to civilization as oxygen is to human survival.
He said people cannot live without oxygen while a state or society cannot survive without accurate in-formation.
“Alongside ensuring the free flow of information, maintaining its integrity requires an advanced regula-tory system. The government does not aim to act as an authoritarian ruler, but rather as a servicing man-ager to ensure the proper flow of information,” he said.
The seminar was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor of North South University (NSU), Professor Ab-dul Hannan Chowdhury.
Among others, Chairman of the NSU’s Board of Trustees Aziz Al Kaiser, General Secretary of the Edi-tors’ Council and Editor of Bonik Barta, Dewan Hanif Mahmud, President of Newspaper Owners’ Asso-ciation of Bangladesh and editor-in-chief of Manabzamin, Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, and Bangladesh Representative of UNESCO, Susan Vize spoke.
At the seminar, NOAB President Matiur Rahman Chowdhury said that the current time is highly unsta-ble for journalism.
While mainstream journalism faces multiple challenges, misinformation spread through social media and “photo cards” is creating confusion among the public.
He warned that due to this uneven competition and the spread of misinformation, mainstream media out-lets are ultimately becoming victims.
Welcome remarks were delivered by Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at NSU, Md. Rizwanul Islam.
The keynote paper was presented by Associate Professor and MCJ Department Chair Dr. S.M. Rezwan Ul Alam.
The designated discussant was founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), AHM Bazlur Rahman.
Teachers and students of the university also participated in the seminar, highlighting various challenges and proposals related to journalism in the country on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2026.
