Capacity Development of Media People for Promoting Tolerant and Inclusive Society Supporting Journalists to Promote Freedom of Religion
The project is funded by UNDP
News Network with funding assistance from UNDP has launched a project — Capacity Development of Media People for Promoting Tolerant and Inclusive Society. The overall objective of the initiative is to promote Diversity for Peace in Bangladesh society. The project has undertaken several initiatives with a view to improving the professional ability of the media people particularly, journalists and potential young social media activists.
They will be given better understanding on the issues related to diversity and peace including impact of peaceful coexistence of all religious people and ethnic minorities and tolerance for mankind and prosperity. About 80 media people will benefited from the project. Their contribution in the media will make people aware about their rights for equality and live with dignity in an inclusive society.
ToT programme on Digital Safety and Security of Journalists held in Dhaka
ToT programme on Digital Safety and Security of Journalists held in Dhaka
#bdjournsafety
News Network, Dhaka (October 4, 2020): A three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme on “Digital and Physical Safety of Journalists” was held in Dhaka on September 27 -29, 2020. News Network organised the training programme with support from the Internews with a view to developing a pool of media experts in the area of digital technologies and physical security. A total of 15 mid-career journalists, including three females, representing various national and regional print and electronic media attended the 3-day residential programme held at CCDB-Hope Foundation at Savar in Dhaka.
Digital security and IT expert Ashraful Haque conducted the technical sessions on digital security which included safe use of internet and digital communications while senior journalist Goutam Mondal conducted the session on physical security.
During the programme the trainees learnt about the digital threats and risks, mitigation strategies and security best practices that can be used to improve a user’s digital hygiene and overall digital security.
As part of the best practices to protect information, news, sources and devices, participants attended the programme learnt how to protect emails and use internet safely, how to protect computer from malware and hackers and how to protect themselves from physical threats while gathering information.

The discussion also included how cookies work, what the safe internet websites are, how to remove internet browsing history, what incognito browsing is, anonymity network, effective use of pseudonyms, how to protect identity of email account user, encrypting mails and hard-drive, hiding information with VeraCrypt and creating strong passwords. The ToT programme engaged the participants in a comprehensive, multi-day distributive learning process, including mock demonstration, which will help building their knowledge and skills required to effectively train other journalists. This pool of experts will act as trainers for a two-day training event in their home region.
Internews – Bangladesh Country Representative Mainuddin Ahmed attended the inaugural programme as the guest of honour which was addressed among others by News Network Editor and CEO Shahiduzzaman and Internews – Bangladesh Programme Manager Shameem Ara Sheuli. News Network Editor Shahiduzzaman and Internews Programme Manager Shameem Ara Sheuli distributed certificates among the participants in the concluding session.
Speakers at the training programme stressed the need for increasing both digital and physical safety for journalists by equipping them with proper training and devices.
Participants, who attended the programme, were overwhelmed for the opportunity to learn and hone the new media skills and stressed the need for more such trainings to cope with the rising IT security threats. They also demanded to increase the duration of the programme.
“Unless I attend the training course I could not realise how important the subject is. I am now convinced and inspired and hope to apply the apply the knowledge in my professional works,” said Munina Munni, a senior journalist from The Financial Express.

Another participant from Chittagong also expressed his gratefulness terming the training very usefulness which he said would help immensely to face the challenges from both physical and digital threats. “I am now more confident and a different person than what I was before the training”, said Shahnewaz Riton, Bureau Chief of an upcoming TV channel –UTV.
“Training on digital security was a new learning for many of us that expanded our horizon’, said Syed Mehedi Hasan, News Editor of Daily Matabad, from Barishal adding that it was an opportunity for them to learn about the digital safety and security and the technique to protect themselves from digital threats.
Strengthening The Capacity Of Journalists To Promote Freedom Of Religion And Peace
Strengthening The Capacity Of Journalists To Promote Freedom Of Religion And Peace
Project period: 2019- 2020
Funded by: Canadian High Commission
The High Commission of Canada to Bangladesh keeps continue its support to News Network in implementing a project on strengthening capacity of journalists to promote freedom of religion and peace.
The project has focused on news reporters who are working at remote rural districts and local media gatekeepers, including editors, executive editors, news editors, news-room editors of local newspapers and online news portals.

As part of the project activities, News Network sensitizes media professionals on the importance religious freedom and peace and improves their professional abilities.
With improved capacities, the media professionals will be able to publish quality news and feature items and raise awareness among the people for effective engagement of relevant stakeholders in countering intolerance and ensure peace in the society.
Prgramme For Promoting Digital And Physical Safety Of Journalists
Prgramme For Promoting Digital And Physical Safety Of Journalists
Project Period: 2020 –2021
Funded by: Internews
Journalists across the world are facing pressure and threats while covering news on conflict sensitive issues. Journalists and media actors in Bangladesh are also not immune. They are facing threats and risks from hackers, criminal groups and religious extremists. Compounding this increasingly hostile operational environment is a sector influenced by corporate ownership and political allegiances, resulting in self-censorship at the individual journalist and editorial levels.
The attack on freedom of expression has escalated recently with introduction of digital security act which is being used indiscriminately to harass journalists and other media activists.
The rise of hacking risks, violence by extremist groups and heightened state surveillance on journalists and bloggers have created a sense of urgency for greater digital, physical, psychosocial and legal security among journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders.
To face the challenges News Network, with support from Internews, has launched a project in April, 2020 in five divisions in Bangladesh with a view to strengthening the digital safety and physical security for journalists and access to resources.
The project activities includes Training of Journalists’ Trainers (ToT) and field level training workshops for media people, working for local and national print and electronic media on digital and physical safety of journalists, aims to foster media independence in Bangladesh by strengthening investigative journalism capacity focusing on building skills in digital and physical security, reducing self-censorship, and addressing lack of media freedoms.
The programmes will take place in the capital city Dhaka and four other divisional headquarters of Chattogram, Sylhet, Khulna and Barisal. More than one hundred journalists will be benefited from the project as well as they will share their experience and learnings from the programme among their colleagues with multiple effects.
Women Human Rights Defenders’ Training on Women’s and Girls’ Right & Protecting the defenders

# womenrightsdefenderstraining
DHAKA, 22 December 2019: A twelve-day long rural women human rights defenders(W/HRDs) training on women rights has ended on 15 December 2019 at Dinajpur. The objective of the training was to educate rural Women Human Rights Defenders(W/HRDs) on women’s and girls’ rights and international law standards for the protecting the W/HRDs.
In four batches, 100 male and female participants were trained up on the issues. Each batch comprising of 25 persons received a 3-days training. The defenders include mix group of local journalists, media gatekeepers (newspapers editors, executive editors and news editors), CSO representatives and religious leaders participated in the programme. Participants were given knowledge and understanding on national policies and laws, and international law standard in protecting and promoting the rights of rural women and girls who are vulnerable to human rights violation. In addition to the training is aimed at building up their capacity to protect the defenders from violence and attacks on themselves. The trainers and experts also informed them of UN resolution on defenders’ rights in defending human rights.
Participants did several groupworks on the training issues and presented those for discussion in the workshop
Additional District Magistrate Md. Shariful Islam inaugurated the training on 4th December and Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Anwar Hossain attended the closing session of the training on 15 December 2019. Besides, Dinajpur Sadar Upzilla Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Firuzul Islam also attended the programme.

রংপুরে মানবাধিকার সাংবাদিকতায় ফেলোশিপ শেষে সনদ পেলেন ২০ নারী
রংপুরে মানবাধিকার সাংবাদিকতায় ফেলোশিপ শেষে সনদ পেলেন ২০ নারী
নিউজ সোর্সঃ http://www.amader-protidin.com/News_load_controller/newsshowforNosubmenu/rangpur/4403/3
জান্নাতুন লাকী: রংপুরে ৪ মাসব্যাপী মানবাধিকার বিষয়ে সাংবাদিকতায় ফেলোশিপ প্রশিক্ষণের শেষে সনদ পেলেন ২০ জন নারী সাংবাদিক। নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের আয়োজনে এবং ইউরোপিয়ান ইউনিয়নের আর্থিক সহযোগীতায় এসব সনদ বিতরণ করা হয়।
গতকাল মঙ্গলবার রংপুর আরডিআরএসের বেগম রোকেয়া মিলনায়তনে আয়োজিত এই সমাপনী অনুষ্ঠানে নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের সম্পাদক শহীদুজ্জামানের সভাপতিত্বে প্রধান অতিথি হিসেবে উপস্থিত ছিলেন, রংপুরের জেলা প্রশাসক আসিব আহসান। এসময় তিনি ২০ জন নারী ফেলোদের হাতে সনদপত্র তুলে দেন।
প্রধান অতিথি তার বক্তব্যের শুরুতেই বিজয়ের মাসে বঙ্গবন্ধুকে স্মরণ করেন। তিনি বলেন, সাংবাদিকতা একটি কঠিন কাজ। একটি সুন্দর লেখা সবার দ্বারা সম্ভব না, যা একজন সাংবাদিক করতে পারেন। একজন সাংবাদিক তার লেখনির দ্বারা অন্যকে উপলব্ধি ও বুঝাতে সাহায্য করে।
তিনি আরো বলেন, পত্রিকা ছাড়া কারো দিন চলে না। এসময় তিনি দেশ তথা সমাজে পত্রিকার গুরুত্ব তুলে ধরেন।
রংপুরের সিনিয়র সাংবাদিক বীরমুক্তিযোদ্ধা সদরুল আলম দুলু’র সঞ্চালনায় অনুষ্ঠানে বিশেষ অতিথি হিসেবে উপস্থিত ছিলেন, বাংলাদেশ হিউমেন রাইট্স ডিফেন্ডার ফোরাম কেন্দ্রীয় কমিটির সভাপতি মোশফেকা রাজ্জাক, বাংলাদেশ হিউমেন রাইট্স ডিফেন্ডার ফোরাম রংপুর জেলা কমিটির সভাপতি বীরমুক্তিযোদ্ধা আকবর হোসেন, বাংলাদেশ মহিলা পরিষদ রংপুর জেলা শাখার সাধারণ সম্পাদক রুমানা জামান, দৈনিক আমাদের প্রতিদিনের প্রকাশক ও সম্পাদক মাহবুব রহমান হাবু প্রমুখ।
এসময় আরো উপস্থিত ছিলেন, ফেলোদের মেন্টর রংপুর প্রেসক্লাবের সাধারণ সম্পাদক রফিক সরকার, দৈনিক বায়ান্নর আলোর বার্তা সম্পাদক জিতু কবির, দৈনিক যুগের আলোর বার্তা সম্পাদক আবু তালেব প্রমুখ। অন্যান্যদের মধ্যে নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের ফিল্ড কো-অর্ডিনেটর মাসুমা ইউসুফ, নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের মনিটরিং ও ইভালুয়েটিং অফিসার শ্যামল রায়সহ আরো অনেকে উপস্থিত ছিলেন।
উল্লেখ্য, নারী ও মেয়েদের বিরুদ্ধে বৈষম্য, সহিংসতা তথা বিভিন্ন সমস্যা দুরীকরণে এবং তাদের অধিকারসমূহ যাতে তারা পরিপূর্ণভাবে ভোগ করতে পারে সে বিষয়ে কাজ করছে নিউজ নেটওয়ার্ক। তারই অংশ হিসেবে ২০ জন নির্বাচিত ফেলো নিয়ে গত ২৮ আগস্ট রংপুরে কার্যক্রম শুরু করে সংস্থাটি।
Forty Young Women Completed Fellowship on Human Rights Journalism in Rangpur and Jashore

#FemaleJournalistsFellowship
DHAKA, 02 January 2020: In 2019, the News Network with support from the European Union successfully implemented four months long (September – December 2019) fellowship on Human Rights in two districts – Rangpur and Jashore. A total of 40 young women journalists were awarded in the fellowship programme. Upon completion of their fellowships, the journalists were awarded with certificates in a formal ceremony held at Rangpur on 17th and at Jashore on 24th December 2019.

It was the first time in Bangladesh’s media history that such a kind of fellowship for young women on ‘Human Rights Journalism’ held in both the districts. Objectives of the programme were to encourage potential women to choose journalism as their professions and build their capacities to protect women’s and girls’ rights through journalism. Government officials highly appreciated the initiative to support the female journalists. Inspiring the fellows, they said, women journalists can play a bigger and effective role to empower the women through their works.Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur Md. Asif Ahasan and Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education & ICT) of Jashore district Shammi Islam distributed certificates among the fellows as Chief Guests with the News Network Editor Shahiduzzaman in the Chair. Local media publishers, editors, senior journalists, journalists’ union leaders and human rights activists attended the function. Local media well covered the certificated giving ceremony.
Local newspapers publishers and Editors attending the ceremony said, it’s a landmark initiative to develop more female journalists. “We are ready to welcome them in the profession,” they said. Journalists’ union leaders also expressed their satisfaction. They also believe that the fellowship has both short and long-term impact in the media. It will also help achieving gender equality in journalism profession. ##

Risk Analysis and Security Planning Training organized for Journalists
December 01, 2019: In between August – November 2019 News Network has organised, Risk Analysis and Security Planning Training for Journalists’ in four districts: Rajshahi, Nilphamari ,Lalmonirhart and Kurigram. The training includes: three, 5-daylong for local news reporters working for local and national news media and three, 2-daylong interaction meeting with local media gatekeepers, including publishers, editors, executive editors and news editors.

The activity was implemented under the ongoing three-year (2018-2020) project titled, “Supporting Human Rights Defenders Working for Women’s and Girls’ Rights in Bangladesh”, supported by the European Union. The objective of the training as well as the interaction is to give better understanding and knowledge to local journalists on risk and security issues. It also aims to protect them from violence, attack and threats for defending women’s and girls’ human rights.

In-house Training of Journalists on Human Rights Journalism Fellowship Programme Completed

November 28, 2019: One-month inhouse training of a four monthlong fellowship programme on human rights journalism has completed in Rangpur and Jashore. The objectives of the programme are to encourage journalists to choose journalism as their profession and contribute towards protection of women’s and girls’ rights. 40 young potential women has been awarded for the programme. It includes one-month in-house training and a three-month internship in the media houses., which will end in December 2019.
On 28th August 2019, Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur Md. Asif Ahasan inaugurated the Rangpur fellowship programme while Deputy Commissioner of Jashore Mohammad Shafiul Arif inaugurated the programme on September 4, 2019. The fellowship is one of the key activities of the ongoing News Network project titled, ‘Supporting Human Rights Defenders Working for Women’s and Girls’ Rights in Bangladesh’, funded by the European Union.

নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের নারী সাংবাদিকতা চার মাস মেয়াদি ফেলোশিপ কর্মসূচি উদ্বোধন
নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের নারী সাংবাদিকতা চার মাস মেয়াদি ফেলোশিপ কর্মসূচি উদ্বোধন
নিউজ সোর্সঃ http://bit.ly/35GL6Fc
নিজস্ব প্রতিবেদক॥ নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের আয়োজনে এবং ইউরোপিয়ান ইউনিয়নের সহায়তায় জেলা নারী সাংবাদিকতার চার মাস মেয়াদি ফেলোশিপ কর্মসূচির উদ্বোধন হয়েছে। বুধবার সকালে যশোর সিটি প্লাজার সভাকক্ষে এই অনুষ্ঠানের আয়োজন করা হয়। প্রশিক্ষণে যশোর, খুলনা, সাতক্ষীরা ও চুয়াডাঙ্গা জেলার শিক্ষানবিশ রিপোর্টারসহ কলেজ পর্যায়ের ২০ জন নারী অংশ নিচ্ছেন।
নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের প্রধান নির্বাহী কর্মকর্তা ও সম্পাদক শাহিদুজ্জামানের সভাপতিত্বে উদ্বোধনী অনুষ্ঠানে প্রধান অতিথি ছিলেন জেলা প্রশাসক মোহাম্মদ শফিউল আরিফ। আরো উপস্থিত ছিলেন বাংলাদেশ টেলিভিশনের খুলনা প্রতিনিধি শেখ দিদারুল আলম, দৈনিক ইত্তেফাকের স্টাফ রিপোর্টার ফারাজী আহমেদ সাঈদ বুলবুল, নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের প্রশাসনিক ও হিসাব সহকারী মুসলিমা আক্তার মৌ প্রমুখ।
প্রধান অতিথির বক্তব্যে জেলা প্রশাসক মোহাম্মদ শফিউল আরিফ বলেন, সাংবাদিকেরা হলেন যোদ্ধা, কলমকে অস্ত্র বানিয়ে মানবতার কাজ নিয়োজিত থাকেন। যাদের মাধ্যমে আমরা প্রতিনিয়ত সংবাদ পেয়ে থাকি। সাংবাদিকরা নীতিনৈতিকতার সাথে সর্বদা মানুষের জন্য নিরপেক্ষভাবে কাজ করছেন। তবে আমাদের দেশে নারী সাংবাদিকের সংখ্যা একেবারেই কম। নারী সাংবাদিকের সংখ্যা বাড়ানোর জন্য নিউজ নেটওয়ার্কের এই কর্মপ্রচেষ্টাকে স্বাগত জানাই। উল্লেখ্য, ইউরোপীয় ইউনিয়নের সহায়তায় ফেলোশিপ কর্মসূচির আওতায় একমাস ইনহাউজ এবং পরবর্তী তিনমাস মিডিয়া হাউজের সিনিয়র সাংবাদিকের তত্ত্বাবধানে ইন্টার্ণশিপ করবেন।