The annual District Correspondents' Conference-2026 of United News of Bangladesh (UNB) began at its conference room in the capital’s Malibagh area on Saturday morning.

Immediate past  Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon inaugurated the conference as the chief guest.

UNB Editor-in-Chief Enayetullah Khan welcomed the participants and expressed gratitude to the district correspondents for attending the annual gathering despite their busy schedules.

He said he believes the conference will be a valuable one for UNB and its correspondents.

Enayetullah Khan also urged journalists to look beyond the past and focus on the future. “As a nation, I think we are caught in the past. Let's get out of the past and look to the future,” he said.

He said the past could provide lessons, but it could not be changed, while the future could be shaped through positive efforts. “Past, we can never change. But we can change future,” he said.

Describing journalism as a noble profession, the UNB Editor-in-Chief urged journalists to uphold the truth.

“And I think with a positive mindset, we should also pursue our very noble profession of journalism, that we uphold the truth, nothing but the truth,” he said.

Enayetullah Khan attributed UNB’s credibility to its commitment to maintaining public trust.

“Today, if there is one reason for UNB being trusted, the most trusted news organisation in Bangladesh, it is because we have never betrayed the trust of the people,” he said, expressing confidence that UNB will continue its journey with the support of its district correspondents.

Among the notable speakers at the conference were Cosmos Foundation President and former Foreign Affairs Adviser of the caretaker government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Dhaka Courier Editor-at-Large Afsan Chowdhury, Speechwriter to the Prime Minister Mahfuzur Rahman and UNB acting Editor Shayan S Khan.

Around 100 journalists from across the country are attending the daylong conference.

The conference features sessions titled “Burning Global Issues, with Focus on the Middle East”, “Journalism in the Digital Age: Building Trust Through Facts”, News Agency and TV Reporting: Speed & Accuracy”, The Evolving Role of News Agencies in the Digital Era”, “The Truth in the Age of Information Overload” and “The Power of Visual Storytelling in Journalism.”

Dr Iftekhar Ahmed, New Age Editor Nurul Kabir, Somoy TV Chief Executive Officer Jobair Babu, Samakal Editor Shahed Muhammad Ali, Prime Minister’s Speechwriter Mahfuzur Rahman, and Jamuna TV CEO Fahim Ahmed will conduct the sessions, respectively.

There will be a session of discussions with newsroom members and district correspondents.