Egypt proposes MoU to boost BD media coop

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Thursday called for a joint Bangladesh-Egypt initiative to combat misinformation and disinformation in the digital age during a meeting with Egyptian Ambassador Omar Mohie Eldin Ahmed Fahmy in Dhaka.

The issue came up when Egyptian Ambassador to Bangladesh Omar Mohie Eldin Ahmed Fahmy paid a courtesy call on the minister at his office at the Secretariat.

During the meeting, Swapon briefed the ambassador on the incumbent government’s approach to media management and outlined various initiatives undertaken in the sector.

He stressed that combating misinformation and disinformation requires joint efforts between Bangladesh and Egypt, while also underscoring the importance of safeguarding freedom of expression.

The minister also expressed Bangladesh’s interest in further strengthening media cooperation between the two countries.

The Egyptian ambassador highlighted the longstanding historical ties between Bangladesh and Egypt and expressed his country’s willingness to work closely with the Bangladesh government to deepen bilateral relations.

He also emphasised the importance of increasing direct people-to-people contact as a means of strengthening cooperation between the two nations.

During the meeting, the Egyptian envoy proposed signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state media organisations of Bangladesh and Egypt.

He also suggested establishing a Bangladesh-Egypt Joint Media Forum to promote closer collaboration and expand cooperation in the media sector.