DHAKA, Oct 27, 2019 (BSS) – Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today urged the journalists to play a vital role in preventing rumours spread through social media.
“Rumours are spreading in our country through different means, including social media. Journalists can save people from misleading information or rumours in social media,” he said, speaking at a discussion titled “The role of media in preventing rumours” at Teacher-Student Center (TSC) auditorium of Dhaka University (DU).
Bangladesh Journalism Students’ Council (BJSC) organised the discussion as part of the 2nd National Journalism Students’ Fest where a good number of students who study journalism in various universities across the country participated.
Former Vice-Chancellor of DU Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, Stamford University Mass Communication and Journalism Department Chairperson Kazi Abdul Mannan, former secretary Abu Alam Shahid Khan, Jatiya Press Club General Secretary Farida Yasmin, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) City Editor Madhusudan Mondal, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Office Secretary Barun Bhowmick Nayan, Jahangirnagar University Journalism and Media Studies Department Assistant Professor Sheikh Adnan Fahad, among others, addressed the function.
BJSC president Sanjit Sarker Uzzal presided over the function while its general secretary Imran Ahmed conducted it.
Professor Arefin Siddique said, “Communication emerges as the most prime medium of modernization and development but rumors spoil the advancement. Rumours have significant impact on our society as we recently experienced the unexpected incident of Bhola clash based on a social media rumour”.
He also said that an objective journalist can never get involved in spreading propaganda rather prevent it.
Farida Yasmin said, “Fake news or rumours emerge as a great problem for the world, not only for Bangladesh. It has created barrier to free journalism. The government should immediately take steps to check rumours”.