News Flash
DHAKA, Nov 18, 2025 (BSS)- Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah has said the Election Commission (EC) considers its great responsibility to provide necessary training and education to enhance the skills of grassroots journalists who are working despite various limitations and overcoming adversities.
He said, "After observing a lot of journalists working at the root level, I realized that they deserve more training and education on journalism. Not because they have limitations, they are really trying their best. Because, we have a responsibility towards them. And when it comes to journalism related to elections, we assure you to render all assistants if there is a scope to improve the quality of journalism. That is a commitment from the Election Commission."
Brig Gen Sanaullah said these while attending a signing ceremony of the memorandum of association under the "Advancing Media Capacity and Information Integrity" project at the Election Commission Bhaban in Agargaon here this afternoon.
Highlighting the various limitations and challenges faced by grassroots journalists compared to the modern facilities of those who do journalism in the city, he said, "You may always hold a self-imposed minimum standard on yourself. However, how much of this is reflected at the field level? It's indeed a matter to think about."
The EC official also said, "I think the noble initiative that has been undertaken today will definitely yield a very positive outcome. And I also feel there is a need to train the journalists at the roots as they matter."
He said, "The polls, this time, is very different from earlier. And we don't have to explain the context as we all know it. It is a defining election on the history of the country. It is sure that this election has to be and will be a transparent one.
"When it comes to transparency, there is nothing to hide. And we all have played our role to promote or expose the truth."
"In person, I feel money and time spent on election or should I say all such initiatives are always worth spending. At the same note, any training associated with such initiatives or any expenditure incurred in training to accomplish something great is an investment, not expenditure," he added.
Election Commissioner Sanaullah congratulated UNDP, MRDI and RFED for such a work saying, "It is a historic moment for the country and the nation. We all are a part of something good."
Reporters Forum for Elections and Democracy (RFED) and Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this afternoon to jointly conduct a training programme to develop the professional skills of journalists of the Election Commission (EC) bit and improve the quality of information integrity and election news coverage of the media.
This initiative, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is being seen as a new horizon in election-related journalism.
RFED President Kazi Emad Uddin Jebel and MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman Mukur signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides.
The ceremony was also attended, among others, by Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, UNDP Bangladesh's Technical Advisor Andres del Castillo Sanchez, RFED General Secretary Golam Rabbani.
