Khulna Bureau

BNNRC organized a day-long workshop on digital development in Khulna on Monday with the participation of civil society, senior officials working in NGOs, and executive heads on digital development.

This workshop was held through the said Deep Dive to enable civil society organizations to formulate action strategies to integrate digital development issues with their ongoing activities by addressing the existing challenges in the digital development process. Coast Foundation is assisting in organizing the Deep Dive.

Transformation provided overall support as a supporting organization in organizing the Deep Dive in Khulna at the beginning of the program. Swapan Kumar Guha, Executive Director of Rupantar, delivered the welcome speech and moderated the sessions at the program's start. AHM Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of BNNRC, discussed the issue at the beginning of the various sessions.

4 panel discussants participated in each session and 30 participants expressed their opinions on the relevant issues. The panelists were Anowarul Kadir, Executive Director, Sundarban Academy; Uttam Kumar Das, Dhruba, Masum Billah, Executive Director, SIAM; Mostafizur Rahman, Assistant Director Nabalok, SM Iqbal Tuhin, Member Secretary, Nagorik Forum, Madhab Chandra Dutta, Executive Director, Swadesh, Sharifa Khatun, Director, Welfare Efforts, Meghna Khatun, Executive Director, PEN Foundation, Kazi Hafizur Rahman, Executive Director, Swavalambi, Ajanta Das, General Secretary, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, Khulna, Jagannath Karmakar, Humanity Watch, Kohinoor Akhter, Narail Nari Unnayan Sangstha, Motaharul Islam, Rights Jashore, Shahjahan Nannu, Afnan Jessore, Sabekun Nahar, Development F, Md. Kamruzzaman, Ash Bangladesh, Golam Mostafa, Agragati Sangstha, Sikder Manjurul Rahman, Sikder Foundation and SMA Wahab JJS, Khulna.A total of 30 participants gave their views.

The four pillars of digital development were discussed, and the digital ecosystem and nine principles of digital development were touched upon. Misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech were concerns.

Then, digital localization was discussed. Digital transformation is now an increasingly integral part of the global communication system. In continuation, digital transformation in Bangladesh has brought about massive changes in the social, political, economic environment, and cultural governance system. Developed countries have achieved better societies, higher economic productivity, and exemplary performance in the government sector by using the benefits of digital transformation very quickly.

On the other hand, in countries like ours, the desired results are not mainly seen due to the slow pace of digital transformation. As a result, a division is currently taking place around digital transformation worldwide. Civil society organizations worldwide are taking initiatives to integrate their activities with digital development. In Bangladesh, civil society organizations lag far behind in digital transformation. Digital development is a widely discussed topic in the digital transformation process. Digital transformation significantly contributes to development, democracy, and human rights.

There are four interrelated objectives of digital development. The objectives are digital transformation, digital inclusion, and digital responsibility: to ensure responsible behavior of all citizens to maintain a safe, secure digital environment. Ensuring the use of digital technologies with an eye on digital sustainability, climate change, and environmental issues.

Civil society organizations in Bangladesh face the following challenges in the digital transformation process - they are the participation of civil society organizations in national discussions and processes on digital transformation, and national and civil society organizations are not included in the digital transformation process.

As a result, the voice of civil society in the digital transformation process is limited. Lack of knowledge and skills on digital transformation, lack of knowledge and skills of civil society organizations on the digital transformation process and outcomes, absence of civil society organizations in international and regional forums, and the presence of civil society organizations in international and regional forums and processes are not visible.

Digital development issues, not integrating digital development issues with the organization's activities. The United Kingdom and the United States have already published long-term strategies for digital development. The United Nations has also announced the Global Digital Compact.

The work of the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) is to develop the media on both knowledge-based and ongoing media issues, taking into account the challenges and opportunities of the rapidly changing reality of the media. BNNRC works as Knowledge-Driven Media Development at regional, national, and international levels. It is a unique consultative organization that is part of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society and the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It is the United Nations WSIS Award 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023 winner and champion.