Staff Reporter:
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen yesterday met Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman and State Minister Yasser Khan Choudhury at the latter’s office in the secretariat.
During the meeting, the US envoy congratulated Andaleeve Rahman on assuming the role of In-formation and Broadcasting Minister.
Andaleeve Rahman said the government is committed to upholding freedom of expression and an environment conducive to a free media.
He said the incumbent government is working to bring positive changes in political culture apart from state administration.
In this context, he cited the broadcasting of opposition party news on Bangladesh Television (BTV) as an example.
At the same time, the minister said necessary measures would be taken to curb the spread of de-famatory statements, misinformation, and disinformation across various platforms, including so-cial media.
Christensen emphasized the importance of engaging with stakeholders on the issues.
Andaleeve said their experiences over the past 17 years had not been positive but the current gov-ernment is working with sincere intentions to bring about positive changes in state governance.
At the meeting, Yasser Khan stressed the need for taking effective initiatives to combat misinfor-mation and disinformation, as well as the utilisation of artificial intelligence in this regard.
He noted that ordinary citizens suffer the most due to misinformation and disinformation, high-lighting how malicious propaganda is spread through fake social media accounts.
He spoke of the need for effective measures to ensure citizens feel safe while using social media.
The US ambassador said the relationship between Bangladesh and the United States is steadily strengthening and expanding into various sectors, including trade and commerce.
Highlighting the US’s continued economic support for the Rohingyas, he said specific support is being provided to the health sector to prevent infectious diseases.
The information minister said the government has no intention of controlling the media.
He said the government is taking necessary steps with responsible and sincere intent, while up-holding media freedom and the right to freedom of expression.
During the meeting, various issues related to mutual interest were also discussed.
