To protect civic and digital space in Bangladesh, journalists, civil society members, and human rights defenders have called for stronger mechanisms to hold the government accountable. Activist and researcher Rezaur Rahman Lenin said, our society remains largely insensitive to gendered disinformation within civic spaces.
He was speaking at a workshop titled “Safeguarding Voice: Strategy to Strengthen Civic and Digital Space”. The workshop was organized by Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (Voice) in Dhaka on Thursday.
Members of NGOs, INGOs, activists, and journalists participated in the workshop.
Rezaur Rahman Lenin said: “Existing laws must be reformed through a citizen-centric lens to address this gap.”
Participants called for stronger strategies to guide advocacy, inclusive policymaking, and collaboration to uphold human rights in the digital age.
They reviewed and shared feedback on a new national strategy paper aimed at strengthening civic space, with a focus on addressing gendered disinformation.
The strategy was developed under the project “Collaborative Actions for Promoting Digital and Civic Space and Combating Gender Disinformation”, funded by the European Union, Free Press Unlimited, and Article 19, and jointly implemented by Voice and The Daily Ittefaq.
Musharrat Mahera, deputy director of Voice, said: “As civic and digital spaces shrink, civil society must push for laws that uphold people’s rights and digital dignity, not silence dissent.”
Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of Voice said: “Laws and policies regarding civic and digital spaces must not be repressive; rather, laws and policies should encourage people to exercise their rights for inclusive democracy.”
The workshop also emphasized the importance of collaboration among civil society, media, academia, youth, and the government. Such collaboration is key to keeping civic and digital spaces open, secure, and inclusive.
Participants also stressed the need for stronger partnerships between civil society organizations and the media. These partnerships can help create an environment that supports democratic expression.
Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Saimum Reza Talukder, Rezwan Islam from EngageMedia, Advocate Sharmin Khan, legal consultant of the International Centre for Not for Profit Law (ICNL), facilitated the workshop.
