A seminar titled "Shabdhane Online" was held in Sylhet to raise awareness about online safety among the youth in Bangladesh.
The seminar took place at the Hotel Star Pacific on Thursday, organized jointly by TikTok and JAAGO Foundation, with the participation of around 100 individuals.
During the event, Rabeya Akhtar Ria, vice president of the Sylhet Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “The internet offers tremendous benefits. With even children having access nowadays, I urge parents to closely monitor their online activities, ensuring they only reap its positive aspects."
Iqbal Siddiqi, president of the Sylhet Press Club, noted the recent rise in negative incidents involving youth online and said: "I call on the young generation to steer clear of such issues. Alongside individual vigilance, organizing more events like 'Shabdhane Online' at the school and college level is essential."
Influencer Sakib Bin Rashid, addressing the representatives present at the event, said: "Alongside monitoring internet security, we should stay away from content that harms our mental well-being, meaning we should avoid all kinds of negative content."
He further added: "Given the increasing power of artificial intelligence, in a few days, distinguishing between truth and falsehood will become challenging for us. Hence, it is crucial to verify any information before trusting it online."
The initiative has been rolled out across all four districts of the Sylhet Division, with day-long workshops titled "Online Safety Adda" tailored for the local youth aged 16-25.
As part of the project's online campaign, participants of the "Online Safety Adda" workshop were urged to create positive content using the hashtag #Shabdhane Online and post it on their social media platforms.
This was primarily an online content creation competition.