The annual District Correspondents' Conference-2026 of United News of Bangladesh (UNB) got underway at the news agency's conference room in the capital's Malibagh area on Saturday morning, bringing together around 100 journalists from across the country for a daylong programme on journalism and contemporary issues.

Immediate past Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon inaugurated the conference as the chief guest.

UNB Editor-in-Chief Enayetullah Khan welcomed the participants and thanked the district correspondents for attending the annual gathering despite their busy schedules.

He said he believes the conference will be a valuable one for UNB and its correspondents.

Enayetullah Khan also urged journalists to look beyond the past and focus on the future. “As a nation, I think we are caught in the past. Let's get out of the past and look to the future,” he said.

He said the past could provide lessons, but it could not be changed, while the future could be shaped through positive efforts. “Past, we can never change. But we can change the future,” he said.

Describing journalism as a noble profession, the UNB Editor-in-Chief urged journalists to uphold the truth.

“And I think with a positive mindset, we should also pursue our very noble profession of journalism, that we uphold the truth, nothing but the truth,” he said.

Enayetullah Khan attributed UNB’s credibility to its commitment to maintaining public trust.

“Today, if there is one reason for UNB being trusted, the most trusted news organisation in Bangladesh, it is because we have never betrayed the trust of the people,” he said, expressing confidence that UNB will continue its journey with the support of its district correspondents.

Cosmos Foundation President and former Foreign Affairs Adviser of the caretaker government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Dhaka Courier Editor-at-Large Afsan Chowdhury, Prime Minister’s Speechwriter Mahfuzur Rahman, Samakal Editor Shahed Muhammad Ali, Jamuna TV Chief Executive Officer Fahim Ahmed and Dhaka Stream Editor and Publisher Golam Iftekhar Mahmud also spoke.

The conference also features a session of discussions with newsroom members and district correspondents.