Adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, has directed District Information Officers to further intensify grassroots-level publicity and voter motivation activities in view of the upcoming referendum and the 13th National Parliamentary Election. She said that specific publicity schedules must be prepared and implemented in coordination with other election-related ministries and agencies to carry out outreach and voter awareness programmes at the grassroots level. Such coordinated efforts, she noted, would not only ensure more effective and impactful campaigns but also help save public resources.
She made these remarks while addressing an exchange meeting with District Information Officers, held to review progress of grassroots publicity activities for the Referendum and the 13th National Parliamentary Election 2026. The meeting was organised on the Zoom platform.
The meeting was also addressed virtually by Adviser to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adilur Rahman Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Secretary of the Local Government Division Md. Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, and Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Md. Mofidul Rahman. The session was moderated by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Mahbuba Farzana.
Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said that a leaflet containing a practical demonstration of the referendum is nearly finalised and that following it would further enrich publicity activities. He advised involving District Information Offices and the local administration with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs’ ‘Voter Caravan’ programme.
Adilur Rahman Khan said that offices under the Local Government Division could be engaged with the election campaigns of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. He added that coordinated efforts by all concerned would yield better results in election-related publicity.
While moderating the session, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Mahbuba Farzana outlined the publicity initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in view of the referendum and the 13th National Parliamentary Election. She said that the Department of Mass Communication is carrying out intensive publicity activities through information offices in all 64 districts and four upazilas, with special emphasis on the referendum in election campaigns. To encourage first-time voters, young voters, women voters, and voters from small ethnic communities, region-based popular songs are being produced and disseminated. She also noted that under the ‘Votalap’ and ‘Ten-Minute Brief’ programmes, the public will be provided with practical demonstrations on the referendum.
Heads of information offices from all 68 districts participated in the online meeting.
The meeting was also attended by Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Dr. Mohammad Altaf-ul-Alam, Director General of the Department of Mass Communication Md. Abdul Jalil, Joint Secretary Riyasat Al Wasif, Director (Technical) Mir Mohammad Aslam Uddin, Director (Administration) Syed A. Mu’men, and Director (Publicity) Dalia Yasmin of the Department of Mass Communication.