Intentionally spreading misinformation and disinformation through social media to create disorder in society does not fall within the scope of free expression, Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament Kayser Kamal has said.
The deputy speaker made the remark on Wednesday during a courtesy meeting with a UNESCO’s delegation led by the organisation’s Head of Office and Country Representative Susan Vize at his office in the Parliament building.
Kayser Kamal noted that freedom of expression is recognised as a fundamental right under the Constitution of Bangladesh. However, he drew a clear distinction between legitimate free speech and the deliberate spread of false information.
“Intentionally spreading misinformation and disinformation through social media to create disorder in society is not included within the scope of freedom of expression,” he told the delegation.
The deputy speaker emphasised the need to organise training sessions on this issue involving members of parliament and relevant stakeholders.
He further stated that Bangladeshi children are greatly benefiting from UNESCO’s education, culture, and information technology programmes. He also stressed the importance of raising public awareness about cybercrime and cyber security laws.
The UNESCO delegation assured that they would work collectively on several key areas, including media development, fact-checking, improving professional standards of journalism, and enhancing citizens’ capacity to access information.
During the meeting, discussions were held on various matters of bilateral cooperation, including education, information technology, artificial intelligence, and cyber security.
Members of the UNESCO delegation and relevant officials of the Parliament Secretariat were present on the occasion.
