The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) organized a daylong Fact-Checking Workshop on July 5, 2025, at BRAC Learning Centre, Mymensingh, as part of its nationwide initiative to build journalistic capacity in combating misinformation. This workshop is part of CGS’s ongoing effort to conduct such sessions across all eight divisions of Bangladesh. Journalists from both national and regional media houses took part in the training.

The workshop was led by Qadaruddin Shishir, Editor at “The Dissent” and Former Fact-Checking Editor at AFP Bangladesh, who provided practical training on digital verification tools, social media monitoring, and open-source investigative techniques. He remarked, “In today’s context, misinformation has become a major force in distorting public discourse and fueling unrest. Journalists must be equipped to identify and counter it. CGS’s initiative to provide such training nationwide is both timely and necessary, and I truly appreciate their commitment.” 

The workshop featured a welcome address by Subir Das, Member of the Board of Directors at CGS, who emphasized the role of fact-checking in promoting ethical journalism. The session was facilitated by Roman Uddin, Research Associate at CGS, with Shamsul Arif Fahim, Research Assistant at CGS, providing support throughout the event.

One female journalist commented, “Online harassment of women has become increasingly frequent, and fact-checking is now a vital tool to challenge false narratives targeting us. This training was highly relevant and empowering.”

Another participating journalist noted, “Workshops like this should be held regularly, not just in regional centers but also within each media house. It’s critical for building responsible journalism.”

Participants were also introduced to CGS’s dedicated misinformation tracking platform, ‘Fact-Checking Hub’ (www.factcheckinghub.com), which compiles verified information from several recognized fact-checking organizations in Bangladesh. Journalists acknowledged the platform as a reliable and practical resource for everyday reporting.