State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury on Saturday urged journalists to remain vigilant and responsible in countering misinformation, rumors and AI-generated misleading content circulating on social media.
He said journalists should highlight government errors and shortcomings, but must do so through fact-based reporting rather than smear campaigns or misinformation.
The state minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a certificate distribution ceremony following a three-day training workshop on multimedia journalism, fact-checking and AI for journalists in Hossainpur upazila.
“There is hardly any popular or well-known figure in Bangladesh who has not been targeted by smear campaigns on social media. Even our mothers and sisters are being humiliated through misinformation and impersonation. This amounts to a violation of human rights,” he said.
He said the training was aimed not simply at awarding certificates but at developing journalists’ skills in fact-checking and dealing with misinformation and disinformation.
“Journalists play a crucial role in curbing the spread of misinformation in Bangladesh,” he said.
Yasser said smear campaigns are not limited to professional journalists, as many people posing as journalists spread rumors and false information. Some also use AI to manipulate images and create videos that are circulated on social media, damaging the reputation of genuine journalists.
He said the government is creating opportunities for genuine journalists to receive advanced training, including two-year master’s programs and AI-based journalism courses.
“A list of genuine journalists will be prepared through press clubs, and they will subsequently be brought under the training programs,” he said.
The state minister said various forms of support are being provided to journalists through the Journalist Welfare Trust. He also said a proposal had been made to the prime minister to increase support for journalists and that the process had begun at the Ministry of Finance.
“I am not only a minister for the Mymensingh Division; I am a minister for the entire country. The ministry works for all of Bangladesh. However, it is only natural to have a special concern for the people of the surrounding areas,” he said.
Yasser said the first phase of journalist training programs had been organized in the Mymensingh Division, Bogra, Feni and districts surrounding Dhaka. The program will gradually be expanded to other parts of the country, he added.
Talking about the country’s development, the state minister said the government did not want to make unrealistic promises.
“We do not wish to offer false or hollow assurances, such as promising to transform Bangladesh into Singapore within the next five years. We do not make such empty promises. However, we are working to make Bangladesh a better and more prosperous country,” he said.
He said Bangladesh belongs to everyone and that politicians, administrators, government employees and journalists all have responsibilities towards the country.
“Journalists voice the concerns of the people and highlight the government’s errors and shortcomings. But this must be done through responsible and fact-based journalism,” he said.
On media freedom, Yasser said the freedom currently enjoyed by the media under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would continue.
Urging journalists to play a constructive role in protecting democracy and the interests of the state, he said, “You must remain vigilant to ensure that the fascism which once shattered the state and crippled Bangladesh’s economy over 17 years does not return, and that democracy is upheld.”
Speaking about development in Hossainpur and other upazilas of Kishoreganj, the state minister said government development programs would be implemented in phases.
