US envoy, Andaleeve discuss media freedom, misinfo

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen met Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman and State Minister Yasser Khan Choudhury at the latter’s office at the Secretariat on Wednesday, with media freedom and misinformation featuring prominently in the discussions.

Christensen congratulated Andaleeve Rahman on assuming office as Information and Broadcasting Minister during the meeting.Andaleeve Rahman said the government was committed to upholding freedom of expression and maintaining an environment conducive to a free media.

He said the government was also working to bring positive changes to the country’s political culture alongside reforms in state administration. As an example, the minister cited the broadcasting of opposition party news on Bangladesh Television (BTV).

At the same time, he said necessary measures would be taken to curb defamatory statements, misinformation and disinformation across various platforms, including social media.

Christensen stressed the importance of engaging stakeholders on these issues.Andaleeve said the government’s experiences over the past 17 years had not been positive, but the incumbent administration was working with sincere intentions to bring about positive changes in state governance.

State Minister Yasser Khan Choudhury stressed the need for effective initiatives to combat misinformation and disinformation and highlighted the potential use of artificial intelligence for this purpose.

He said ordinary citizens suffered the most from misinformation and disinformation, particularly when malicious propaganda was spread through fake social media accounts.

Yasser also stressed the need for effective measures to ensure citizens feel safe while using social media.

Christensen said relations between Bangladesh and the United States were steadily strengthening and expanding into various sectors, including trade and commerce.

Highlighting continued US economic support for the Rohingyas, he said specific assistance was also being provided to the health sector to prevent infectious diseases.

Andaleeve reiterated that the government had no intention of controlling the media.

He said the government was taking necessary steps with responsible and sincere intent while upholding media freedom and the right to freedom of expression.

The meeting also discussed various issues of mutual interest.