Staff reporter:
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman has stressed the importance of raising media and digital literacy to combat disinformation, misinformation and misleading campaigns spread through social media.
“Misinformation and disinformation cannot be tackled through laws alone; people must also be made aware. In particular, students, parents and elderly people need to be educated about verifying information,” he said.
The adviser made the remarks while addressing a seminar at the auditorium of East West University in the capital yesterday, marking Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2026.
Dr Zahed said misinformation, disinformation and deliberately misleading content were not problems confined to Bangladesh but global challenges. Such content, particularly when linked to politics, was spreading widely across the world.
However, the situation was more concerning in Bangladesh because public awareness of media and digital literacy remained far below the required level, he added.
He said the government would take initiatives to establish an appropriate legal framework to combat disinformation. However, alongside enacting laws, importance must also be given to educating people and raising public awareness.
Highlighting the lack of awareness among elderly social media users, the adviser said that when asked about the source of a news item, many educated retired people in the country replied that they had found it on Facebook. Elderly people had begun using social media without the necessary knowledge, he said, adding that similar situations had emerged in various countries around the world.
Dr Zahed said that as the world entered the era of artificial intelligence (AI), questions were also being raised about the use and regulation of the technology. Companies such as Anthropic were advocating the development of regulatory and safety mechanisms for AI. However, there were concerns that it might already be too late to establish effective regulatory systems, he added.
He said Bangladesh, like all other countries, needed to take action in recognition of the urgency of the situation. Tackling disinformation required not only domestic initiatives but also greater communication and cooperation at the global level, he added.
Calling on educational institutions to take initiatives to raise awareness of media and information literacy, the Prime Minister’s adviser said East West University had taken a timely and commendable initiative by observing MIL Week. Other universities in the country should also undertake similar initiatives, he added.
Addressing students, he urged them to raise awareness among not only their peers but also their parents and elderly relatives about the importance of verifying information. Their lack of awareness could create opportunities for the spread of disinformation and misleading campaigns, he added.
East West University Board of Trustees Chairman and founding Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin presided over the programme.
East West University Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Ashik Mosaddik and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh Dr Susan Vize, among others, addressed the event as special guests. Professor Dilara Begum presented a research report at the seminar.
Deans of various faculties, UNESCO representatives, teachers and a large number of students were present.
