Rights-based research and advocacy organisation VOICE, in collaboration with The Daily Ittefaq, hosted a Knowledge Exchange Meeting today at Hotel La Vinci, Dhaka, focusing on the promotion of digital and civic space and the urgent need to counter gender disinformation.
VOICE convened the strategic meeting under its flagship project, Collaborative Actions for Promoting Digital and Civic Space and Combating Gender Disinformation. The project is funded by the European Union, Free Press Unlimited, and Article 19 and is implemented in partnership with The Daily Ittefaq.
The meeting began with opening remarks from Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director of VOICE, who welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of joint efforts in building a safer, more inclusive civic and digital space in Bangladesh.
In the first session, Musharrat Mahera, Deputy Director of VOICE, briefed attendees on the ongoing as well as already completed project activities i.e. documentation of cases (i.e. violations of rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, press freedom, cultural expression and sort). She outlined the milestones achieved, including public events like consultation on a national strategy.
Sharafat Hussain, Head of Digital at Daily Ittefaq, led the second session, elaborating further on their contributions to the project through extensive media monitoring and public engagement. They also shared insights from their editorial perspective on how disinformation, particularly targeting women, undermines democratic discourse. Discussions included the upcoming launch of a dedicated web portal, which will serve as a platform for information dissemination, resource access, and public engagement.