SACMID has organizedtwo orientationworkshops on ‘Appropriate use of information& media during Corona Pandemic’ at Shitakundo upazila of Chittagong district and Purbodhola upazila under Netrokona District. The subsequent dates of the workshops (for 2 days each) were 18-19 August 2020 and 22-23 August 2020.
A total of 46 participants from community leaders representing different segments of the rural society like elected representatives,religious leaders,journalists, teachers, parents, political party members and dignified people attended in theworkshops.Of those, 7 participants were female. Mr. Shuvo Karmakar, Lecturer, Press Institute Bangladesh, Afia Sultana, Program Coordinator, SACMID facilitated all the sessions of the workshops, while program officers- Rahim uddin Sagar and Urmila Sarker assisted in organizing the process. Syed Kamrul Hasan,the Deputy Director and Program Manager also attended in one of the workshops and provided necessary guidance in smooth organizing of the workshops. In two events Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mr Milton Roy – Sitakundo, Thana Health &Family Planning Officer- Dr.Mahmuda Begum (Purbodhala, Netrokona) , Upazilla Chariman & Union Parishod Chairman (Purbodhala, Netrokona) also adorned the workshops by attending as Chief Guest & Special Guest in opening and closing ceremonies of the workshops. All of them endorsed that media & information literacy has become mandatory in everyone’s life, specifically in such a situation of pandemic.They recommended that this workshop should be continued among the rest of Upazilas of the country. Participants made commitment to share & spread their learningsthrough their own community, family and friends as they have high influence in the locality.
The workshops have been supported by Free Press Unlimited under its project with SACMID- “Promoting Media Literacy in Bangladesh”. The local partners engaged in organizing the workshops were Community Radio -Sagar Giri (run by YPSA) at Sitakundo, Chittagong and arban at Purbodhala, Netrokona.
