Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Saturday emphasized that digital security has become more important than conventional border security in today's rapidly evolving world.
He said that as societies continue to transform into knowledge and technology-driven ecosystems, ensuring digital security has become a national priority and the government is taking the necessary initiatives to address emerging challenges.
The minister made the remarks while addressing a roundtable titled "Combating Fake News in Bangladesh: Policy, Technology, and Accountability," organized by the Nationalist ICT Forum (NICTF) at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Dhaka.
Highlighting the growing threat of misinformation, Swapon said Bangladesh has been discussing fake news and disinformation for years, but the time has now come to move beyond identifying problems and focus on implementing practical solutions.
"We welcome discussions on the challenges, but we also expect stakeholders to present realistic policy recommendations. If effective solutions are proposed for national issues, the government will work swiftly to implement them," he said.
The keynote paper was presented by Imtiaz Mirza, Vice President of NICTF.
The roundtable, moderated by Riyad Hasnain, CEO of Smart-Lab, featured a panel of media and technology experts who stressed the need for stronger institutional measures to combat misinformation.
Abbas Uddin Noyon, Chief Reporter of The Business Standard, observed that only a handful of media organizations in Bangladesh currently maintain dedicated fact-checking teams. He recommended making independent fact-checking units mandatory for all news organizations to ensure responsible journalism through rigorous verification before publication.
Rakib Hasan, Editor and Host of Ekattor TV's "Fake News Scanner," said misinformation, rumors and disinformation have evolved beyond a social problem into a commercial enterprise. According to him, organized groups intentionally create misleading narratives, spread rumors to increase social media followers and later monetize those platforms for financial gain.
The roundtable was chaired by Rafel Kabir, President of NICTF. A K M Wahiduzzaman, Information, Communication & Technology Affairs Secretary of BNP; Engr Md Reazul Islam, Chairman of RAJUK and President of IEB; Engr Shahrin Islam Tuhin, Former MP and Convener of AEB; Dr. Shah J. Mia, Professor of Business Analytics and Applied AI at the Newcastle Business School, Australia; Dr. Maruf Mallik, Adviser to NICTF; along with representatives from the media, information technology sector and policymaking institutions were present.