The hum of conversation filled the auditorium at East West University in Dhaka as academics, policy advisers, and students gathered for a national seminar marking Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2026. At the front of the room, Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, took the stage with a sense of urgency that resonated well beyond the campus walls. In a world where a single share can shape public opinion and a false headline can spark real-world chaos, his message was both a warning and a plea: the government is ready to act, but citizens must also learn to protect themselves. He spoke of raising media literacy and public awareness as the frontline defense against the twin plagues of misinformation and disinformation—the accidental spread of falsehoods and the deliberate creation of them. For a country like Bangladesh, where social media has become the default news source for millions, the stakes could not be higher. The seminar itself, a joint effort between the university and the Media and Information Literacy Network Bangladesh (MILNetBD), was a testament to the growing recognition that information is power, and the ability to wield it wisely is a skill that must be taught, not assumed.
Dr. Zahed, who also oversees policy and strategy and serves as adviser to the ministries of information and broadcasting and cultural affairs, painted a vivid picture of the current crisis. People of all ages—from university students to retired professionals with years of experience—are scrolling through their feeds, encountering news, memes, and viral posts, and often accepting them at face value. The problem, he noted, is not that people are unintelligent; it is that they have never been trained to question the credibility of sources. He stressed that “prevention is the best option,” and that we must all learn how to identify and assess the authenticity and correctness of information before accepting or sharing it. This is not a passive act but an active discipline, one that requires a shift in mindset. He then made a direct appeal to the young people in the room: help your elderly family members, your parents, your grandparents, who are often the most vulnerable to hoaxes and scams on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. It is a small, human gesture—sitting with an older relative and showing them how to check a source, how to spot a manipulated image, how to recognize a sensational claim—but it can have a ripple effect that strengthens entire communities. The government, he added, is also exploring a legal framework to combat disinformation, though he wisely cautioned that such initiatives require careful consideration to avoid overreach and to protect freedom of expression.
The call to action was further amplified by Dr. Susan Vize, head of office and UNESCO representative to Bangladesh. She framed media and information literacy not just as a defensive tool but as a cornerstone of democratic life. In her remarks, she explained that MIL empowers young people to question information, think critically, and make informed choices—especially during elections, when the information environment is most polluted. “By embedding these skills in education and creating more opportunities for discussion and debate, we can support informed participation in democratic life,” she said. Her words carried the weight of an organization that has long championed MIL as a universal human right. She emphasized that integrating this literacy into formal education is not optional; it is essential. When students learn to navigate the information ecosystem responsibly, they become not only better learners but also more engaged citizens who can see through propaganda and hold leaders accountable. The presence of Andrés del Castillo Sánchez, chief technical adviser of the UN Electoral Support Project–BALLOT at UNDP Bangladesh, underscored the link between media literacy and electoral integrity. The seminar was chaired by Professor Dr. Mohammed Farashuddin, chairperson of EWU’s Board of Trustees, and attended by Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Mohammad Ashik Mosaddik, all lending institutional weight to the cause.
The heart of the seminar, however, was the keynote address delivered by Professor Dr. Dilara Begum, chairperson of EWU’s Department of Information Studies and president of MILNetBD. She presented findings from a comprehensive youth media and information literacy assessment that offered a sobering snapshot of the current state of affairs. The study, conducted between June and October 2026, surveyed 1,605 respondents from all eight divisions of Bangladesh. The results were stark: 82.2 percent of respondents had received no MIL-related training whatsoever. More than half—52.3 percent—relied on social media as their primary source of election-related information, a figure that raises concerns given the platform’s susceptibility to manipulation. And perhaps most disturbingly, 62.2 percent said they had encountered false or misleading information during elections. The average MIL index score was 68.49 out of 100, which was classified as “intermediate” under the study’s framework. That sounds like a passing grade, but in practical terms, it means most young people can spot the most obvious scams but struggle to evaluate nuanced or sophisticated misinformation. As Dr. Kazi Mostak Gausul Hoq, professor at the University of Dhaka and the discussant for the session, noted, an intermediate score leaves a dangerous gap—people believe they are literate enough to distinguish truth from falsehood, but they often miss the subtler disinformation that spreads through memes, deepfakes, and editorialized headlines.
These numbers should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and educators alike. The fact that over 82 percent of young people have never received any formal training in media literacy is not just a failure of education; it is an existential vulnerability for a democracy. When a majority of citizens rely on social media for election information, and nearly two-thirds of them encounter falsehoods, the integrity of the electoral process itself is at risk. The “intermediate” score reflects a half-aware population: they know they should be skeptical, but they lack the skills to verify sources, triangulate information from multiple outlets, or understand the algorithms that feed them content. This is where universities like EWU play a pivotal role. By introducing structured MIL programs—courses, workshops, and campus-wide campaigns—they can cultivate a generation of critical thinkers. But the challenge extends beyond the ivory tower. Dr. Zahed’s emphasis on young people helping their elders is a recognition that formal education alone is insufficient; there must be a culture of mutual learning. A student might learn about verification in a classroom, but the real test comes when they explain it to a skeptical uncle at the dinner table, or when they gently correct a grandmother who shared a hoax about health cures. This intergenerational exchange transforms media literacy from an abstract academic concept into a lived, everyday practice.
As the seminar drew to a close, there was a sense that the conversation had only just begun. The call for a legal framework to combat disinformation, while still in its conceptual stages, signals that the government is willing to engage with the issue at a systemic level. Yet, as Dr. Zahed himself acknowledged, legislation is a blunt instrument; the most effective solutions are preventive. Raising media literacy is a long-term investment with compound returns. It is not about creating a society of cynical skeptics, but rather one of informed, engaged citizens who can participate in public discourse without being manipulated. The path forward is clear: embed MIL into the school curriculum, support national awareness campaigns, encourage universities to take the lead, and empower every individual to become a gatekeeper of truth. The data from the study provides a baseline; the next assessment, perhaps in a few years, should show significant improvement. But that will only happen if everyone—students, teachers, parents, journalists, and government officials—takes responsibility. As the audience in Dhaka dispersed into the bright afternoon, the words of the experts lingered. In an age of information overload, the most valuable skill we can teach the next generation is not how to find information, but how to question it. The human touch—of a young person guiding an elder, of a professor challenging a student, of a citizen pausing before hitting “share”—is the ultimate safeguard for democracy. The stage is set; the data is clear; the time to act is now.