A two-day training program on “Fact-Checking to Combat Rumors” concluded in Cumilla with the distribution of certificates to participants and a discussion meeting.
The event was held today, Thursday (14 August 2025), at the seminar hall of Grand Castle Hotel, Cumilla.
This initiative is part of a larger project, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, that aims to “Empowering Media Professionals, Girl Students and Community Women through an Improved Understanding of Digital Threats and Security Measures.” The Holodia Women’s Development Organization is serving as the local NGO partner for the project’s implementation in the Cumilla district.
A total of 20 students from various colleges and universities in Cumilla participated in the program.
At the end of the meeting, participants shared their experiences and opinions. They stated that they have now learned how to detect and verify fake information using various digital tools such as Google Reverse Image Search, InVID, Google Advanced Search, and web archiving.
The students proposed that if a dedicated fact-checking platform could be established, they would be able to regularly verify and upload misleading information there, which could help the government combat disinformation in the future.
The discussion meeting was attended by Mohammad Nurul Haque, Senior Information Officer of Cumilla, as the chief guest; Mahmudul Hasan, Chairman of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Cumilla University, as the special guest; and Salma Khatun, Upazila ICT Officer, Cumilla Adarsha Sadar Upazila, as a guest.
Mohammad Nurul Haque said, “If people do not feel the interest to act on their own, the interest to learn will also not be created. Rumor is like a storm; we must resist this storm. The new fact-checkers can play an important role in this work in the future.”
The closing session of the meeting was also attended by officials from the South Asia Center for Media in Development (SACMID) and Mahmuda Akhter, Executive Director of Haldia Mohila Unnayan Sangstha.
This meeting was part of SACMID’s project “Raising Awareness among Media Professionals, Female Students, and Community Women about Digital Threats and Safety Measures.” Through this initiative, efforts are being made to enhance digital literacy, fact-checking skills, and cybersecurity awareness among young people and women in Bangladesh.
