The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) organised a day-long fact-checking training workshop on 10 August 2025 at Barisal Club, aimed at enhancing journalists’ skills in information verification and combating misinformation. This event marked the latest in CGS’s ongoing nationwide fact-checking training series. CGS has pledged to continue and expand such initiatives across the country in the future.

The training was conducted by Shuvashish Das Ray Dip, Assistant Editor of FactWatch. He provided hands-on instruction on identifying geolocation from images and videos, verifying information from multiple credible sources, and using internationally recognized digital verification tools such as Google Earth Pro, Google Reverse Image Search, TinEye, InVID, and CrowdTangle.

In his remarks, CGS President Zillur Rahman stated, “In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, fact-checking is an indispensable skill for journalists. Accurate information verification not only protects journalistic credibility but also ensures a responsible news environment. CGS is working to develop this capacity among journalists nationwide and will further expand these efforts.”

Senior journalist Anisur Rahman Swapon said, “Journalism has become highly challenging in the present time. Reporters are often under pressure to deliver news quickly, which makes it difficult to verify facts within a short time. Nevertheless, we must enhance our skills in using modern tools to verify information swiftly and accurately.”

A female journalist participant noted, “Fact-checking skills are crucial in combating online harassment, cyberbullying, and misinformation targeting women. This training will help us enhance both professional safety and social responsibility. I thank CGS for this initiative.”

The workshop was interactive, with participants engaging in Q&A sessions and relevant discussions throughout the training.

The event was facilitated by CGS Research Associate Roman Uddin, with support from Research Associate Debi Karmakar. Also present at the workshop were CGS Board of Director Members Subir Das and Fahmida Huq.

At the conclusion, participants were introduced to CGS’s Factchecking Hub (www.factcheckinghub.com), a platform that compiles verified information from credible fact-checking organizations in Bangladesh, serving as a valuable professional resource for journalists.