Govt starts awareness drive ahead of plebiscite
Staff Reporter :
The government has rolled out an extensive nationwide programme aimed at building public awareness about the referendum scheduled for February 12, mobilising field-level officials, religious leaders and civil society representatives to counter misinformation and clarify the process at the grassroots.
The initiative, overseen by the Chief Adviser’s Office, seeks to reach communities across all divisions through a coordinated series of training sessions, conferences and public discussions.
According to the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, the effort is designed to “eliminate ambiguity and misinformation” surrounding the referendum by equipping local actors with accurate information and communication tools.
As part of the programme, a divisional officers’ conference and a separate imam conference were held on Sunday in Barishal.
Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Professor Ali Riaz and Special Assistant Monir Haider addressed the gatherings, delivering what officials described as training-oriented speeches focused on the purpose of the referendum, the voting process and the responsibilities of those engaged in public outreach.
Similar programmes are scheduled to be organised in all other divisions in the coming days.
Under the current framework, Divisional Commissioners’ Offices are conducting training sessions for divisional, district and upazila-level officials, as well as representatives of non-government organisations.
In parallel, the Islamic Foundation is organising programmes specifically for imams and religious leaders, reflecting the government’s emphasis on engaging trusted community figures to disseminate information.
According to the official schedule, divisional-level imam conferences and views-exchange meetings are to be held on January 12 in Rajshahi, January 14 in Rangpur, January 15 in Chattogram, January 17 in Dhaka, January 19 in Mymensingh, January 22 in Sylhet and January 24 in Khulna.
The planned meetings are expected to bring together a broad cross-section of society, including senior government officials, vice-chancellors of universities and other academics, senior journalists, press club leaders, representatives of shop owners’ associations and other professional bodies, heads of NGOs, religious leaders and figures from civil society.
Officials say these discussions at divisional, district and upazila levels will play a crucial role in shaping public understanding of the referendum, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas where access to formal information channels is more limited.
With just weeks remaining before the vote, the awareness campaign signals the government’s intent to proactively manage the information environment around the referendum, positioning local administrators, educators, religious figures and civil society leaders as frontline communicators in what is expected to be an intensive period of public engagement.