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Wednesday | November 04, 2026 | Dhaka

Unesco, PIB to train journos on local elections

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:02 AM, 04 November 2026

A three-day refresher training programme on local government election reporting, information integrity and journalist safety began at the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) in Dhaka on Tuesday, bringing together 20 media professionals and academics.

Unesco and PIB jointly organised the Refresher Training of Trainers (ToT) under the UN Electoral Assistance Project BALLOT.

The programme builds on an earlier PIB training of trainers, whose participants later trained more than 2,600 journalists across 60 districts in January and February 2026.

Speaking at the inauguration, PIB Director General Faruk Wasif said recognising disinformation and attempts to manipulate information on social media was essential for fact-based reporting.

“With Unesco’s support through the UNDP-led BALLOT Project, PIB is strengthening those skills among grassroots journalists,” he said.

The refresher course gives special attention to local government election reporting, which was identified as a priority after the previous training and subsequent programmes.

Participants will improve their reporting skills in this area, alongside learning about information integrity and journalist safety.

They will then conduct PIB training programmes on local government election coverage across the country.

Dr Susan Vize, head of office and Unesco Representative to Bangladesh, said local elections influenced decisions about services that people used in their everyday lives.

She said voters needed accurate reporting to understand issues affecting their communities and make informed choices.

Vize expressed hope that PIB trainers would build on their experience ahead of the national elections and help prepare journalists for accurate and responsible coverage of local elections.

The participants are from different media organisations and academic institutions.

Andres Del Castillo Sanchez, Chief Technical Advisor of BALLOT, attended the opening session as a special guest.

He said information shared during election campaigns could influence voters’ choices and have a lasting impact on public trust.

Journalists needed to verify information throughout election campaigns, particularly during local polls, where the consequences were directly felt by communities, he added.

Others present included Rochan Kadariya, Digital Solutions Specialist of BALLOT; Shakil M. Faisal, Project Lead, Media and Elections, of Unesco’s BALLOT Project; Rakibul Islam, Programme Assistant of the project; and Nadim Farhad, Trainer and Hate Speech Specialist at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.