A discussion meeting on preventing the spread of disinformation and propaganda on social media was held in Bhola on Sunday (August 2) at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner's Office.

The meeting, titled "Combating Social Propaganda and Promoting Social Values," was chaired by Bhola Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Dr. Shamim Rahman and moderated by Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Md. Belal Hossain.

Special guests included Superintendent of Police Md. Shahidullah Kawsar and Civil Surgeon Dr. Md. Monirul Islam.

Among the speakers were District Information Officer Md. Shah Abdur Rahim Nurunnabi, Editor of Ajker Bhola Muhammad Shawkat Hossain, General Secretary of Bhola Press Club Nasir Liton, District Secretary of Islami Andolon Bangladesh Md. Tarikul Islam Tarek, Ameer of the Bhola Municipal Unit of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Md. Jamal Uddin, President of the district unit of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Md. Bashir Ahmed, journalists Mokammel Haque Milon, Omar Faruk, and Yunus Sharif, President of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), Bhola District Md. Sulaiman, Al-Amin Shahriar, Shimul Chowdhury, Md. Ahmed Riaz, and others.

The discussion focused on the growing spread of disinformation and propaganda across social media platforms and their far-reaching negative impacts. Speakers observed that false and misleading information is often used to create political instability, fuel social division, incite religious hatred, undermine communal harmony, damage the reputation of individuals and institutions, and facilitate financial fraud.

The participants emphasized the importance of verifying information before sharing it, identifying false or misleading content, avoiding rumors, and using social media responsibly. They also stressed the need for coordinated efforts involving citizens, government agencies, educational institutions, media organizations, and civil society to effectively prevent the spread of disinformation and promote a culture of responsible digital communication.

The event was attended by journalists from various media outlets, government officials, political leaders, and representatives of different social organizations.

FP/A