Swapon Calls on ICT Experts to Formulate Action Plan Against Cyber Risks

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon today called on the country’s ICT experts to swiftly prepare and submit a draft national action plan to tackle cyber risks and strengthen online safety.

He made the call while speaking at a roundtable titled “Combating Fake News in Bangladesh: Policy, Technology and Accountability,” organized by the Nationalist ICT Forum (NICTF) at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Ramna.

Swapon said the creation of fake news using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its rapid spread through social media has become a major strategic challenge. He warned that cyber threats and digital vulnerabilities pose growing risks to individuals, society and the state.

Addressing ICT professionals, the minister said the government is placing greater emphasis on expert participation in policymaking as part of its efforts to build a knowledge-based state.

Referring to international initiatives aimed at regulating technology giants such as Meta, Google and X, Swapon noted that mainstream media organizations invest substantial resources in producing content, while digital platforms often generate revenue from that content without providing compensation.

He said several countries, including Australia, have introduced legislation requiring digital platforms to pay royalties to content creators and stressed the need to bring Bangladesh’s digital platforms under a transparent and accountable regulatory framework.

Among others, BNP ICT Affairs Secretary AKM Wahiduzzaman and former lawmaker and Engineers Association of Bangladesh (EAB) Convener Engineer Shahrin Islam Tuhin also addressed the event.

The discussion, moderated by senior NICTF leaders, was attended by prominent ICT experts, researchers and journalists from across the country.

Speakers at the roundtable highlighted the need to deploy advanced technological tools to detect propaganda and misinformation circulating on social media. They also underscored the importance of strengthening mainstream media institutions and promoting digital literacy and information awareness, particularly among marginalized communities.