Election campaigns must be intensive and people-friendly to increase public participation in the upcoming polls, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Mahbuba Farzana said on Wednesday.
She made the remarks at a Zoom meeting held to guide district information officers on field-level strategies for the 13th National Parliament Election and the referendum. The meeting was organized by the Department of Mass Communication.
Director General of the Department, Md. Abdul Jalil, presided over the event, which was joined by employees from 68 field offices.
Mahbuba Farzana said the upcoming polls will be “unique and unprecedented,” as instructed by the Chief Adviser. She noted that district information offices will have a major role in promoting the election and shaping public opinion, and directed officers to begin campaign activities immediately.
She highlighted that, for the first time, the national election and a referendum will be held on the same day, making communication at the grassroots level—from unions to villages—a significant challenge.
She expressed confidence that information officers would meet this challenge successfully.
The Secretary said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will work jointly with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs for election publicity. She also instructed information officers to stay connected with Bangla Fact, led by PIB, for rumor control and fact-checking. Officers were told to work innovatively and maintain close coordination with district administrations and election officers.
Speaking at the event, the Director General said the Department of Mass Communication has 102 years of experience in campaign work.
He shared that 34 election-related songs have been prepared in line with the code of conduct, to be performed in regional languages across different areas. Demonstrations on how to vote “yes” or “no” will also be shown in village markets.
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He said efforts are being made to make the campaign more modern and appealing to encourage voter participation.
Additional Secretary Dr. Mohammad Altaf-ul-Alam, Joint Secretary Mahfuza Akhtar, and Directors Mir Mohammad Aslam Uddin and Syed A. Mu’men also spoke at the event.