Dhaka – Bangladesh has expressed strong interest in collaborating with the Netherlands in the field of media and communication.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon made the remarks during a meeting with Dutch Ambassador to Bangladesh Joris van Bommel at his office in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The minister said his government has been striving to bring about qualitative improvements in its work. In today’s information technology landscape, he noted, new challenges are emerging due to the rise of new media, artificial intelligence, and the expanding digital ecosystem.
Swapon emphasized that it is the state’s responsibility to ensure freedom of expression while simultaneously protecting citizens from misinformation and disinformation.
He also expressed interest in learning how the Netherlands is addressing the challenges posed by misinformation in the age of information and communication technology.
Ambassador van Bommel congratulated Swapon on his assumption of the role of information minister.
He noted that since Bangladesh’s independence, the Netherlands has maintained a strong bilateral relationship with the country, a partnership that has now expanded into various sectors, including education, health, development, and trade and commerce.
He further expressed his country’s interest in working with the Bangladesh government to further strengthen this relationship.
The Dutch envoy also emphasized the need to formulate a new framework to address emerging digital challenges and briefed the minister on the various initiatives the Netherlands has undertaken in this area.
Information and Broadcasting Secretary Mahbuba Farjana and Additional Secretary Md Shah Alam were also present at the meeting.
