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Disinformation was particularly evident during the Covid-19 lockdown. The early disinformation
concerning the Covid-19 originated from religious sources. First, it was claimed that the Covid-19
is a GAZAB (curse) on non-Muslims especially on Chinese because they ill-treated Muslims.

Second, true Muslims are immune to the disease. The disinformation from non-religious sources
claimed that we are immune to the virus because of the hot and humid weather in our country. This
disinformation led to the widespread violation of lockdown measures. The next level of

disinformation focused on building immunity and cure. All sorts of unfounded cure and immunity-
boosting measures gained wide currency. The Government did indeed arrest few people for
involvement in the disinformation campaign, however, actions were taken against those who
targeted the Government high-ups. We did not observe any concerted effort from the Government,

the private sector, the civil society, or the mainstream media against the false and misleading
contents harmful to the public. Elsewhere in the world, there are fact-checkers and myth-busting
individuals, groups, organizations or media outlet, such as Poynter (USA) Snopes (USA), First Draft

News (USA), DisinfoWatch (Canada), Full Fact (UK), EU Fact Check (EU), Boom (India),
Chequeado (Argentina), Africa Check (Pan African), etc. However, in Bangladesh, we are yet to
make any significant headway to counter disinformation in our society. BD FactCheck is the pioneer

who has partnered with Boom India to form Boom BD. However, their presence is hardly felt in
social media or mainstream media.

3. Do you think disinformation is hindering our efforts to achieving sustainable development
goals?

Achieving sustainable development goals requires the engagement of whole-of-government and
society. Ensuring peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG-16) plays a critical role by empowering

individuals and communities in achieving 16 other goals. The most devastating impact of
disinformation on people is dis-empowerment. Disinformation reduces confidence in Government,
state, and social institutions. It has the potential to threaten the political and social order and thereby

destabilizing the economy and society. In this context, if disinformation continues unabated, it can
significantly hinder the achievement of SDGs.

4. What capabilities are obligatory for an individual to resist disinformation?

Ideally, all members of a society must have MIL capabilities. A MIL empowered person will not fall
for a disinformation trap. A person is MIL empowered when s/he has three competencies, namely
media competency, digital competency, and information competency. However, achieving 'MIL for all'
is a long shot in the Bangladesh context. At the primary level, an individual needs to be aware of

disinformation and should be critical while reading, hearing, and viewing any digital content.
Individuals should try to verify authenticity before liking, sharing, or acting on the information. An
extensive public education program will be needed to achieve this outcome.

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