Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said sustainable development will not be possible unless equal opportunities are ensured for everyone in society and the state. He made the remarks on Tuesday as chief guest at a dialogue at a hotel in the capital titled “Information Integrity and Social Cohesion in Bangladesh: Policy, Platform Accountability and Collective Action.” UNDP, GIZ and the Norwegian government organized the event.

Swapan said Bangladesh’s media and information landscape is changing rapidly. While technological advances have expanded opportunities for information flow, they have also created new challenges. He stressed the need to ensure both free flow of information and its credibility and responsibility, identifying misinformation, disinformation and misleading information as major challenges amid rapid growth in information technology and artificial intelligence.

The minister called for coordinated action by the state, media, civil society and international development partners. He said international experience should be used while Bangladesh builds capacities suited to its own realities and needs. He also urged the positive use of AI, digital platforms and data-driven communication, alongside media freedom, responsibility, public access to information and skills development for media workers.