Swapon seeks UK, Swiss support to strengthen media freedom

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Thursday said the government is committed to ensuring media freedom and sought cooperation from the United Kingdom and Switzerland to strengthen the country’s media sector and tackle misinformation.

The minister made the remarks during separate courtesy meetings with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke and Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Reto Renggli at his office in the Secretariat.

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury was present during the meetings.

Swapon said the government has already started work on forming a Media Commission as part of its efforts to ensure press freedom in the country. He also expressed interest in using the experience of the United Kingdom’s media regulator Office of Communications (Ofcom) in developing media policies in Bangladesh.

The British High Commissioner congratulated Swapon on assuming office and assured him of the UK’s cooperation in this regard. She also briefed the minister on the activities of Ofcom.

During his meeting with the Swiss ambassador, the minister said the government wants to ensure media freedom while also protecting people from misinformation and disinformation. 

He stressed the importance of Switzerland’s technological support and modern expertise to address these challenges.

Yasser Khan Choudhury noted that although Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created new opportunities worldwide, it has also emerged as a major challenge in ensuring information verification and security. He urged all stakeholders to work together to tackle the issue.

The state minister also invited Swiss investors to explore opportunities in Bangladesh’s potential sectors.

SH