Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb has requested France’s support in providing advanced fact-checking training for Bangladeshi professionals.
He made the request on Tuesday during a meeting with the French Ambassador to Bangladesh, Jean-Marc Sérre-Charlé, at his office in the Posts and Telecommunications Division at the Secretariat.
Taiyeb said the government is developing several laws and technology-driven administrative frameworks, including the Cyber Security Act, the Personal Data Protection Act, the Digital Citizen Identity and the e-payment system.
He added that Bangladesh is also working on building a digital ecosystem and advancing data interoperability with support from Estonia.
He said a national framework is being prepared to address misinformation and disinformation ahead of the election, involving coordinated efforts from law enforcement and other agencies. Given this context, he said fact-checking has become critical, and Bangladesh needs French support to train fact-checkers at an advanced level.
Taiyeb also highlighted the need for French cooperation in enhancing the use of satellite imagery and expanding technology-based services.
The French ambassador said Bangladesh and France are aligned in their democratic values and noted Bangladesh’s importance to France due to its active role in the Indo-Pacific region. He added that government-subsidised French universities and engineering schools offer relatively affordable education, presenting a good opportunity for Bangladeshi students.
He further said France’s space agency and research institutions are willing to provide imagery and academic cooperation free of cost.
The meeting also discussed digital cooperation, cyber security, developments in the telecommunications sector and future work plans. Both sides expressed hope for stronger collaboration in the coming years.
Julien Dieu, Economic Counsellor at the French Embassy, was also present.
