Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bangladesh, Baharul Alam, BPM hosted a three-member UNESCO delegation at Police Headquarters on Tuesday.
The team included Dr Susan Vize, Country Director of UNESCO Bangladesh, and Mehdi Benchelah, Senior Project Officer and Head of the Rule of Law and Freedom of Expression Section at UNESCO Headquarters.
The discussions focused on strengthening professional relations between police and journalists, promoting the rule of law, protecting freedom of expression, and UNESCO’s role in countering misinformation.
The delegation reiterated UNESCO’s global mandate to support freedom of expression, journalists’ safety, and the right to access information.
They proposed training programmes on fact-checking for media professionals and stakeholders to boost mutual trust and professionalism between police and media. They stressed that such training would safeguard public interest and enhance crisis management by preventing the spread of false information and rumours.
IGP Baharul Alam briefed the delegation on the current law and order situation, the police’s preparations for the upcoming national parliamentary elections, and other related matters.
He highlighted that, for the first time, around 150,000 police personnel will undergo election-focused training, which will conclude this month. The training is part of broader measures to ensure peace and security during the election period.
Additional IGP of the Special Branch Md Golam Rasul and other senior police officials were present during the meeting.
