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Why the misinformation?

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The Indian media’s portrayal of Bangladesh turmoil as religiously motivated has fueled misinformation and has strained Bangladesh-India relations, posing a threat to regional stability

Zulker Naeen

This article has been published in the Dhaka Tribune on August 27, 2024.

The youth-led uprisings in Bangladesh culminated in the historic resignation of Sheikh Hasina, marking the end of an era and plunging the nation into a period of unprecedented uncertainty. Immediately after her resignation, there was a nationwide interruption of law and order.

Why the misinformation?

Courtesy: Dhaka Tribune

Police forces were noticeably absent from their posts, leaving the streets unguarded and the public in heightened anxiety. This sudden power vacuum created a volatile and messy situation, and the country grappled with the aftermath of a revolution, destabilizing the nation.

Attacks have taken place on Awami League offices, leaders’ homes, and businesses in various districts. Hindu communities have also been targeted in some cases, raising concerns over rising communal violence.

Subsequently, several Indian media outlets have circulated accounts of widespread attacks against the Hindu community in Bangladesh, raising serious concerns about the ulterior motives behind these reports.

If one is going to repetitively point to Hindu victimhood, overlooking the wider political context, then one is sure to create a one-way inflammatory discourse that does little to promote understanding or peace. Indian media has largely portrayed these motivated attacks as a broader crisis — one religiously charged, broadly against the Hindu community.

They have circulated false claims with doctored images exaggerating the scale and nature of violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Such manipulative media narratives with striking visual content only exacerbates the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation.

Independent fact-checking organizations like Fact-Watch, along with national and international media outlets, have played a crucial role in debunking these false claims. Their analysis has revealed a systematic effort to distort the truth, with many of the viral posts being either outright fabrications or gross exaggerations of actual events.

It was true that Fact-Watch’s fact-checking of the video concerning the temple attack did prove that it took place in a separate, unrelated incident years earlier—the footage of which was being repackaged with the intent to inspire fear in its audience.

For example, Republic Bangla aired a report claiming there was an attack at the Nabagraha Temple when Sudarshan News broadcast the Lakshmipur shop fire video as part of their coverage of supposed attacks on Hindus. Those reports have been widely shared and viewed, contributing to a growing perception in India that Hindus in Bangladesh are under siege.

However, Fact-Watch debunked this claim, revealing that the fire had occurred at the south district Awami League office near the temple, not the temple itself. Another instance of misinformation involved a video showing a woman being abducted in Senbagh, Noakhali, claiming that it depicted a communal attack against Hindus. However, further investigation revealed that the incident was a domestic dispute unrelated to any communal violence.

Similarly, a video showing a shop on fire in Lakshmipur was falsely presented as evidence of recent anti-Hindu violence, even though the incident occurred weeks before the political unrest and was not related to any religious conflict.

The conflation of these genuine incidents with exaggerated or false reports has made it difficult to discern the true extent of the threat facing Hindus in Bangladesh.

The Times Group-owned Mirror Now, for instance, released a video titled “Attack on Hindus in Bangladesh? Genocide, Murder by an Enraged Mob,” which depicted scenes of violence and burning. However, investigations by Al Jazeera and other independent fact-checking organizations have shown that the claims were grossly exaggerated and those two houses were actually Muslim-owned.

The conflation of these genuine incidents with exaggerated or false reports has made it difficult to discern the true extent of the threat facing Hindus in Bangladesh

Many of the targeted individuals were affiliated with the Awami League, suggesting that the violence was rooted in political retribution rather than communal hatred. In districts like Narsingdi and Jessore, where attacks were reported, residents have confirmed that the violence was directed at individuals based only on their political affiliations.

Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, a prominent leader of the Hindu community in Bangladesh, has asserted the same.

But by framing the unrest in Bangladesh as a religious conflict, these outlets and social media accounts are arguably attempting to rally Hindu nationalist sentiment within India. Such a portrayal of Bangladesh as a hostile, anti-Hindu neighbour fits neatly into the agenda of right-wing political groups in India, who have long sought to portray Hindus as under siege in the region.

The fear-generated narratives have not only fueled communal tensions but have also been used to justify calls for a more aggressive stance towards Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, many in Bangladesh, including members of the Gen-Z cohort, have taken proactive steps to protect Hindu temples and households from vandalism — a fact that is rarely highlighted in Indian coverage.

Foreign Affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain has criticized the Indian media for broadcasting the recent events in Bangladesh in a “highly exaggerated” manner. He argued that this kind of reporting not only distorts the truth but also harms the diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

Similarly, while talking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the telephone, Professor Muhammad Yunus made bold remarks about the exaggerated reports of attacks on minorities, going so far as to invite Indian journalists to visit Bangladesh and report from the ground. Yunus’s call for transparency and accuracy in reporting is a direct challenge to the current media narrative, urging a more truthful representation of events.

The framing of these incidents undermines the sovereignty of Bangladesh, painting it as a nation incapable of protecting its minority communities without external intervention. This is not favourable to upholding healthy diplomatic relations and could have long-term consequences for the region’s stability.

The growing distrust stems from a perception that India has not acted in the best interests of Bangladesh, particularly in the wake of the recent political reforms and the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Accordingly, Bangladesh believes India has overstepped its bounds, interfering in their internal affairs and failing to respect its sovereignty.

If the current trajectory continues, the relationship between these two historically linked nations could be strained, with repercussions for the broader South Asian region.

Zulker Naeen is a Research Coordinator at the Centre for Critical and Qualitative Studies, at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh. He is reachable at naeenzulker@gmail.com

Impacts of Bangladesh’s uprisings on neighbouring countries

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This article has been published in the Daily Observer on Thursday, 5 September 2024.

Zulker Naeen

Impacts of Bangladesh’s uprisings on neighbouring countries

Courtesy: Al Jazeera

The recent upsurge in student activism across South Asia is a reflection of deeper geopolitical shifts and the evolving landscape of South Asian diplomacy. It is noteworthy to mention that the ousting of Sheikh Hasina by student-led protests in Bangladesh has reverberated across South Asia. Subsequently, the triumph in Bangladesh has inspired youth activism beyond its borders and exposed the shared vulnerabilities and aspirations of the younger generation.

To get its way, South Asia appears as a region of overlapping unrest, with protests sweeping through its diverse demographics with threads of social justice, political discontent, and regional tensions. In reality, especially in South Asia, the protests in one country often inspire and amplify movements in neighbouring nations, creating a dynamic interplay of influence and response.

Right now, the brutal rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata has further intensified the unrest. It has sparked massive demonstrations demanding better protection for women and accountability for the perpetrators. The protests have led to a wider critique of governance, charging the administration of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with incompetence. Recent political instability seen in Bangladesh has only intensified these fears, with opposition parties exploiting the situation to rally against the ruling government.

Impacts of Bangladesh’s uprisings on neighbouring countries
Published Version of this Op-Ed

Shortly thereafter, the Bharat Bandh on August 21, 2024, exemplified how domestic discontent can escalate into widespread unrest in India. The Supreme Court’s decision to permit sub categorization within SC/ST reservations is the reason behind the call for this strike. The ruling is perceived to be an erosion of the protection given to backward classes, in effect welding together a large coalition of Dalit and Adivasi outfits. The protests have highlighted the volatility surrounding social justice issues in India.

Similarly, in Pakistan, the influence of Bangladesh’s student-led revolution is palpable. The Pakistan Student Federation (PSF), aligned with Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has issued an ultimatum demanding Khan’s release by August 30. The increasing mobilization of students in Pakistan highlights the spillover effects of Bangladesh’s unrest, creating a ripple of activism that demands accountability and democratic reforms.

In Baluchistan, protests against military operations and enforced disappearances have reaped attention, while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, local dissent against military actions reveals how much malaise is directed at the government’s approach to conflict and governance.

Likewise, the student movements in India and Pakistan have drawn strength from the shared histories of struggle against colonialism, authoritarianism, and social injustice. The success of Bangladesh’s revolution has revived memories of past student movements in these countries, recapping the youth of their potential power to effect change.

The spillover of the student uprising is apparent in India and Pakistan, as the youth in these countries face high unemployment rates, underemployment, and a lack of opportunities, leading to widespread disillusionment with their respective governments.

In India, this discontent has fueled protests against the government’s economic policies, while in Pakistan, students have rallied against corruption and the lack of educational and job opportunities. The lack of governance as well as the social and political struggles in these countries mirror those that initiated the uprising in Bangladesh, hence the revolution that inspires and guides to action.

Geographically, the proximity of these nations and their shared borders facilitates the exchange of ideas and the rapid spread of social movements.

Demographically, nearly half its population is under the age of 24, and over one million young people enter the labour force every month until 2030, a substantial base of young people who are disappointed with the status quo and eager for change.

Socially, issues such as corruption, a lack of educational opportunities, and political repression resonate across borders, creating fertile ground for the spread of student-led protests.

The protests in Bangladesh have highlighted domestic issues and served as a catalyst for political activism in neighbouring countries, showing how regional dynamics can shape and reshape political landscapes.

With consecutive protests in the streets of India and Pakistan, the regional turmoil highlights the broader geopolitical shifts occurring in South Asia. Most importantly, the junction of student activism across India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan reflects a growing regional awareness among youth and a shared frustration with entrenched political systems.

Today, however, the 2024 uprisings have the strength to pulverize several states and bring the powers of South Asian leaders tumbling down. Moreover, the success of these movements could inspire similar uprisings in other parts of the Indo-Pacific, challenging authoritarian regimes and prompting a re-evaluation of strategic partnerships.

Overwhelmingly, the student-led revolution in Bangladesh has set South Asia on a new trajectory. Similarly, the student movements in India and Pakistan are a testament to the power of youth activism and the shared challenges faced by the younger generation.

No one can with certainty speculate what is happening to the fate of South Asian streets; whether these nations embrace the potential for positive change or attempt to suppress it will determine the stability and prosperity of the region in the years to come.

The writer is a research coordinator at both FactWatch and the Center for Critical and Qualitative Studies at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh

Student Upspring in July: Beacon of Inspiration in South Asia

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Student Upspring in July: Beacon of Inspiration in South Asia

Zulker Naeen

This article was published by The New Age on August 21, 2024

Bangladesh experienced a political earthquake when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned following a nationwide protest in August led by the youth, particularly the Gen-Z generation.

The ‘Gen-Z Revolution’ shares striking similarities with the Arab Spring, underscoring the powerful impact of youth-driven movements in bringing about significant radical change in Bangladesh. Like their Arab counterparts a decade earlier, these uprisings were a consequence of widespread dissatisfaction with corrupt governance. The youth of Bangladesh were driven by frustration with autocratic governance, economic inequality, and a desire for greater political freedom.

This revolution in Bangladesh — from a demand seeking reforms in the quota system for public services to a call for Hasina’s resignation — marks a pivotal moment in the country’s political landscape, driven by a generation of young people disillusioned with the status quo. This movement emerged from deep-seated frustrations over economic inequality, job scarcity, and a political system that many viewed as corrupt and unresponsive to their needs. 

Sheikh Hasina’s leadership since 2009 has brought significant economic advancement but has also been characterised by an authoritative governance style. The July Revolution, driven by the increasing dissatisfaction of the unstoppable youth, abruptly terminated her 15-year rule over Bangladesh. Textbooks are being rewritten to downplay the darker periods of the Hasina regime, and there is a concerted effort to build a new national identity that reflects the aspirations of a younger generation.

The ‘Bangla Spring’ symbolises a youth-driven movement aimed at challenging the existing political order, advocating for more democratic governance, and rejecting the autocratic practices of the ruling regime. It reflects a broader trend of youth engagement in political activism, with students at the forefront of pushing for systemic change.

This metaphor of rebirth and renewal traces its origins back to the Arab Spring in the early 2010s, where the collective voice of the youth reshaped the future of entire nations. As we witness the recent youth-led revolution in Bangladesh, the question arises: Is this another ‘spring’? And why does the metaphor continue to resonate so powerfully?

Back to history, the Arab Spring began in December 2010, when Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor, set himself on fire in protest against police corruption and ill-treatment. The suicide in public ignited a wave of protests that spread throughout Tunisia to other Arab countries, including Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain.

Similarly, in South Asia, widespread ‘Gota Go Gama’ protests in Sri Lanka in 2022 exemplify the immense power of youth in driving political change, much like the recent uprisings in Bangladesh. As Sri Lanka’s economic crisis deepened in 2022, it was the nation’s youth — primarily university students — who became the backbone of a sustained, months-long movement that ultimately toppled the government.

Recently, on August 9, the ‘Reclaim the Night’ marches across West Bengal, sparked by the horrific rape and murder of a young doctor, have resonated deeply with the spirit of the student-led revolution in Bangladesh.

Now that the movement has spread to other Indian cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune, it goes beyond just a demand for safety; it represents a broader political awakening, a sort of ‘spring.’ The echoes of Bangladesh’s revolution have crossed borders, fuelling a fire in West Bengal that challenges not only the status quo but the very fabric of a system that has long failed its people. 

Recently, the Pakistan Student Federation issued a stern condition to the government, demanding the release of former prime minister Imran Khan by August 30. This demand follows closely on the heels of the successful student-led revolution in Bangladesh, which has sparked similar sentiments among the youth in Pakistan. This student marches from Islamabad’s D Chowk to bring true freedom, signalling a potential escalation in the already tense political landscape of Pakistan.

Undoubtedly, the echos of the Bangla Spring are influencing and inspiring youth movements in neighbouring countries and their political discourse. Perhaps a growing sense of solidarity and shared response among South Asian youths makes them increasingly willing to challenge established political orders in pursuit of justice and freedom.

It was clear when the Kolkata students marched and organised sit-in demonstrations with banners expressing solidarity with Bangladeshi students who were laying chests in front of the gun while protesting against the government in July.

Undeniably, this solidarity shown by Kolkata’s youth was a powerful testament to the boundless spirit of youth who stand united against oppression and injustice. It has illustrated that the voice of students knows no borders when it comes to demanding rights and challenging any discriminatory systems.

After this dramatic fall of the Hasina regime, the ‘Bangla Spring’ represents more than just a moment in Bangladesh’s history; it has become a beacon of inspiration for young populations in neighbouring countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

The Bangla Spring may very well be the catalyst for a new wave of uprisings across South Asia, as the seeds of revolution are already being sown in fertile soils with discontent. Students and young activists in India have taken to the streets to protest policies they believe undermine democracy and secularism. 

A growing youth demographic in Pakistan is increasingly demanding systemic change, challenging the status quo with unprecedented vigour because of economic stagnation and political instability. Similarly, in Sri Lanka, young people have been at the forefront of protests against economic mismanagement and political corruption, echoing the spirit of the Bangla Spring in their demands for a new political order.

As young people across the region unite in their demands for a more just and equitable future, they are collectively reshaping the narrative of their nations, signalling that the spirit of the Bangla Spring is alive and spreading, poised to redefine the future of South Asia. 

Now, it is a clear picture of the streets where the humid air will reverberate with the powerful chants of ‘We want justice,’ a cry that transcends mere slogans to become the very anthem of the march. The streets will be alive once again with the march of students, their faces aglow with the light of mobile phones, candles, and flaming torches.

Carrying the national flag with pride, they will stand united, hand in hand, and their voices will be amplified by the auspicious sound of conch shells, a call for justice that echoed through the daylight and night.

Under the cover of umbrellas or soaked by the rain, they will continue their march — a symbol of unwavering determination. Despite the gridlock late at night, the streets won’t contain the tide of marchers. Such a sea of humanity is not an ordinary protest — it is a collective awakening, a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of a people united in their pursuit of justice and change.

Similarly, the Bangla Spring, the new dawn of revolution, marks a pivotal chapter in South Asian history, where the youth of Bangladesh became the torchbearers of a revolution — marching to the streets, armed with nothing but their convictions and a desire for change with the spirit of spring — a season of hope, resilience, and transformation.

As we watch the events unfold in Bangladesh, it is clear that this movement has the potential to reshape not only its own country’s political landscape but also inspire similar movements across South Asia. 

Whether this is a new ‘spring’ or just a revolution, one thing is certain: the youth of Bangladesh have made history, and their actions will reverberate far beyond their nation’s borders.

Zulker Naeen is a research coordinator at the Centre for Critical and Qualitative Studies, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.

Unmasking the cricket rumour mill

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Cricket
Cricket Rumour Mill

This article has been published by The Business Standard on May 8, 2024

Tackling misinformation to safeguard the integrity of Bangladesh’s cricket discourse

In Bangladesh, cricket is more than just a sport; it’s a passion that unites millions of fans.

However, amidst the excitement of matches and tournaments, a darker trend is emerging: the proliferation of rumours and baseless speculation – in the form of misinformation that threatens the integrity of the cricket landscape.

Especially in social media, the circulation of rumours and baseless speculation are widespread, whether news about player transfers, team selection controversies, or behind-the-scenes drama, can distort the narrative of surrounding cricket events and sow seeds of doubt among fans.

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Instead of writing genuine news and analysis, many click-hungry outlets engage in sensationalised reporting that not only adds fuel to the fire, attracts more clicks and shares, but ultimately spreads false information. 

However, this newfound reach has also given rise to a culture of sensationalism, where virality often takes precedence over accuracy and integrity, undermining the integrity of cricket discourse.

The recent debut of Shathira Jakir Jesy as the first female on-field umpire in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) was supposed to be a moment of progress and celebration for cricket in Bangladesh.

However, the match soon became embroiled in controversy surrounding the dismissal of Prime Bank’s Mushfiqur Rahim, with doubts about whether the fielder’s foot had touched the boundary ropes while completing the catch.

Rather than addressing the real issues, certain media outlets sensationalised the event, and opted for clickbait headlines, stirring up unnecessary controversy and diverting attention from matters of actual significance.

“Mushfiqur, Mahmudullah’s teams refuse to play under a female umpire.” Such headlines not only misrepresented the situation but also led to a divisive online discourse, with netizens quick to take sides based on false premises rather than factual analysis.

So why did the media choose to muddy the waters of this storyline?

The answer lies in the race for attention, where truth often takes a backseat to sensationalism, with every word, phrase, and image carefully crafted to maximize engagement rather than accuracy.

In March, a recent marketing campaign by a mobile financial service provider, featuring cricket stars Tamim Iqbal and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, ignited a firestorm of controversy. 

Moreover, the involvement of a prominent sports bulletin has added a layer of complexity to the discourse, highlighting the perils of misinformation in society.

That leaked conversation has been promoted as exclusive news; nowhere was it mentioned that it was part of a marketing campaign.

That cleverly orchestrated advertisement not only fueled speculation but also eroded trust in the media and marketing practices.

The aftermath of this controversy should serve as a wake-up call for both media outlets and marketing agencies.

A few days ago, another rumour took hold: reports suggesting that the head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, Chandika Hathurusinghe, would not return to Bangladesh. 

A media outlet claimed to have published screenshots of Hathurusinghe’s speech, which fueled the speculation. 

However, the idea that BCB would sack Hathurusinghe just a month and a half before the T20 World Cup is irrational. 

Furthermore, In Bangladesh, the influence of content creators and self-proclaimed cricket pundits exacerbates the spread of misinformation in cricket discourse.

In recent years, the rise of video content in sports journalism has brought a concerning trend: the spread of false narratives, rumours, and sensationalist reporting that threatens the integrity of the sport.  

Competition between sports journalists in making video content and rush to report breaking news has resulted in the circulation of unverified information, leading to confusion and misinformation among fans.

Such practices not only mislead fans but also undermine the trustworthiness of sports journalism.

At the centre of these swirling rumours is the comeback of Tamim Iqbal to international cricket.

However, amidst the anticipation of his return, some sports reporters regularly feature videos discussing the Tamim issue on his YouTube channel, portraying a dramatic relationship between Tamim and BCB.

This constant stream of news about Tamim’s comeback has led to confusion and scepticism among fans and observers, with many questioning the authenticity of the reports.

Without a commitment to accuracy and responsible reporting, the very essence of the sport is at risk of being tarnished by sensationalized stories and false information. 

How can we tackle the scourge of misinformation and safeguard the integrity of Bangladesh’s cricket discourse? 

Ultimately, the fight against misinformation and sensationalism requires a collective effort from all stakeholders, from journalists and media outlets to cricketing authorities and fans. 

Sports journalists must resist the temptation to prioritise clicks and views at the expense of truth, striving instead to provide accurate, balanced, and responsible coverage of sporting events.

Additionally, the Bangladesh Cricket Board and other governing bodies should address the spread of misinformation within cricket, implement strict regulations for those who spread rumours, and ensure that cricket remains untarnished by falsehoods and inaccuracies. 

Fact-checking and verification should be standard practices to encounter and seek out credible sources of news and analysis.

Ultimately, together brands, celebrities, media outlets, and fans can uphold the integrity of the sport and preserve its credibility and reputation for the next generations by collectively challenging and debunking the cricket rumor mill. 

A different sort of foul play

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Misinformation
A different sort of foul play

This article was published in the Dhaka Tribune on May 4, 2024

How a contentious marketing move featuring cricket stars reveals the perils of misinformation

In the digital age, the interplay between brands, celebrities, and the media has become increasingly intricate, often blurring lines and raising questions about transparency and ethics. A recent marketing campaign by a digital financial service, featuring cricket stars Tamim Iqbal and Mehedi Hasan Miraj, has ignited a firestorm of controversy. Moreover, the involvement of a prominent sports bulletin has added another layer of complexity to the discourse, highlighting the perils of misinformation in the cricketing landscape. 

The campaign, featuring popular cricketers Tamim Iqbal and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah Riyad, leveraged the cricketers’ fame and influence to launch an Eid marketing campaign for that particular digital financial service across various platforms.

At the beginning of Ramadan, a prominent sports bulletin shook the cricketing world with a supposed leaked private conversation between Tamim Iqbal and Mehidy Hasan Miraj — in the conversation, Tamim appeared to have threatened Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. 

Meanwhile, a private television channel broadcast that issue as news, but how the record was obtained/leaked was not disclosed. Netizens took the matter seriously after seeing a television news bite about this conversation.

Later on, Tamim Iqbal personally divulged the mystery of that phone conversation by appearing on Facebook Live. It was revealed that the leaked conversation was not a private exchange but a cleverly orchestrated advertisement for a mobile phone-based digital financial service. 

FactWatch, an independent fact-checker, identified this audio content as missing context and rated that viral conversation as “misleading content.”

That phone call was promoted as exclusive news, but nowhere was it mentioned that it was part of a marketing campaign. The absence of an official statement in this story has intensified the mystery surrounding that private conversation. 

While some fans expressed relief upon learning the true nature of the leaked conversation, others voiced concerns about the ethics of using tactics for commercial purposes. While sports bulletins traditionally serve as sources of news and analysis within the sporting community, their role in this marketing campaign raises questions about journalistic integrity and ethical standards.

In the age of digital marketing, brands constantly seek innovative ways to capture consumers’ attention. However, such a marketing move has sparked controversy and raised concerns about the spread of misinformation in society. The incident sparked a broader conversation about privacy in the digital age and the responsibilities of brands as well.

However, the controversy underscores broader issues surrounding the responsibility of brands, celebrities, and media outlets in shaping public discourse.

Ultimately, such a marketing strategy using cleverly orchestrated “leaked conversations” between cricketers serves as a cautionary tale about the hazards of misinformation in today’s digital landscape. 

This type of implicit endorsement questions the integrity of celebrities, as it can mislead the general public into making uninformed decisions based on false information.

As society grapples with the complexities of navigating an information-saturated world, brands, celebrities, media outlets, and consumers must work together to uphold transparency, integrity, and truthfulness in all forms of communication. 

Celebrity cricketers, especially those with huge followers and influence, have a responsibility to ensure that their endorsements align with their values and beliefs and that they do not inadvertently mislead or deceive their fans.

Similarly, cricketers must exercise due diligence when lending their names and likenesses to promotional campaigns, ensuring that they do not inadvertently contribute to the spread of misinformation or compromise their credibility in the eyes of their fans.

Only then can we mitigate the perils of misinformation and protect the integrity of the sport of cricket.

Zulker Naeen is a Research Coordinator at the Center for Critical and Qualitative Studies, at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh. He is reachable at zulker.naeen@ulab.edu.bd

দেশের একমাত্র ১০০% শ্রিম্প নিশ্চিতকারী বালাচাও মেন্যুফেকচারিং ব্র্যান্ড

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Balachao
Balachao Maker is a manufacturer of premium balachao in Bangladesh

১০০% শ্রিম্প বালাচাও। বালাচাওপ্রেমীদের অভিযোগ বালাচাও এ পেঁয়াজ বেরেস্তার আধিক্যই বেশি। চিংড়ির দেখা নেই বললেই চলে। অভিযোগ রয়েছে অপ্রত্যাশিত মাছের উপস্থিতি।

একমাত্র বালাচাওমেকার ই নিশ্চিত করছে ১০০% শ্রিম্প বালাচাও

কোন প্রকার পেঁয়াজ বেরেস্তা এবং অপ্রত্যাশিত মাছের সংমিশ্রণ ছাড়াই প্রস্তুত হয় আমাদের ১০০% শ্রিম্প বালাচাও।

এছাড়া আমরা দেশের অন্যতম স্পাইসি বালাচাও প্রস্তুতকারক।

দীর্ঘ  বছর ধরে সুনামের সাথে বিভিন্ন ক্যাটাগরি বালাচাও প্রস্তুত করে আসছি

প্রায় ৪০০ এর অধিক কাস্টমার বালাচাওমেকার থেকে নিয়মিত বালাচাও অর্ডার করে থাকেন।

বিদেশে অবস্থানরত আত্মীয় স্বজনের প্রতিনিয়ত অর্ডার গ্রহণ করছি আমরা। এভাবেই আমাদের বালাচাও পৌঁছে যাচ্ছে ইউরোপসহ বিশ্বের বিভিন্ন দেশে।

কক্সবাজার এবং চট্টগ্রামের মানুষের কাছে বালাচাও সুপরিচিত।

শহুরে মানুষের কাছেও বালাচাও বেশ পরিচিত। অধিকাংশ মানুষ অসম্ভব ভালো লাগা থেকেই বালাচাও খেয়ে থাকেন।

তবে বালাচাও এর অথেনটিক স্বাদ অনেকেরই অজানা

বালাচাও এর স্বাদ নিয়ে বিভিন্ন মতামত রয়েছে। রয়েছে প্রচলিত কিছু অভিযোগ। যেমন বালাচাও এ চিংড়ি নেই বললেই চলে। পেঁয়াজের বেরেস্তাই বেশি। অল্প সময়ে বালাচাও ক্রিসপিনেস কমে গেছে। কখনও বালাচাও এ বালির উপস্থিতি পাওয়া যায়। নিন্ম মানের চিংড়ি শুঁটকি ব্যবহারের কারনেই এমন হয়।

সেক্ষেত্রে বালাচাওমেকার ভিন্ন।

হোম-প্রসেসড স্পাইসের অসাধারণ কম্বিনেশনে প্রস্তুত হয় আমাদের বালাচাও। রোস্টেড শ্রিম্প, গোল্ডেন গার্লিক এন্ড অনিওন চিপস্ নিশ্চিত করে প্রিমিয়াম বালাচাও এর স্বাদ। প্রস্তুত হয় অথেনটিক বালাচাও।

একটি এক্সক্লুসিভ ফিউশন ফুড হিসেবে বালাচাওকে পরিচিত করাই আমাদের উদ্দেশ্য

হোম-প্রসেসড স্পাইসের অসাধারণ কম্বিনেশনে প্রস্তুত হয় আমাদের বালাচাও। রোস্টেড শ্রিম্প, গোল্ডেন গার্লিক চিপস্ নিশ্চিত করে প্রিমিয়াম বালাচাও এর স্বাদ। প্রস্তুত হয় অথেনটিক বালাচাও।

এছাড়াও আমাদের রয়েছে স্ট্যান্ডার্ড, স্পাইসি, এক্সট্রা শ্রিম্প, থাই ওরিয়েন্টাল, কাশ্মীরি ক্যাটাগরি। এছাড়া আপনার পছন্দসই কাস্টমাইজড বালাচাও প্রস্তুত সম্ভব আমদের সাথেই।

যোগাযোগ ০১৬৭৩৩৭৫৫৯৪

ফেসবুক পেজ

বিস্তারিত জানতে ভিজিট করুন

বালাচাও

স্পাইসি চিংড়ি বালাচাও এখন আপনার হাতের মুঠোয়

বালাচাওমেকার বাংলাদেশের একমাত্র ১০০% শ্রিম্প নিশ্চিতকারী বালাচাও মেন্যুফেকচারিং ব্র্যান্ড

Balachaomaker Is A Manufacturer Of Quality Shrimp Balachao

Balachaomaker is a manufacturer of premium balachao

একমাত্র বালাচাওমেকার ই নিশ্চিত করছে ১০০% শ্রিম্প বালাচাও

বালাচাও ফেসবুক পেজ

Renewable Energy: Huge Potentials

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Energy
Renewable Energy: Huge Potentials

The use of renewable has been seen as viable alternatives to meet the existing demand for power supply for both Nepal and Bangladesh. Despite huge potentials, both countries have yet to exploit solar energy to meet the energy needs.

This article is a joint publication by Sudeep Ghimire and Zulker Naeen
Date of Publish: Oct 06, 2017

In 2015, Nepal and the World Bank signed an agreement to invest USD 130 million to develop a 25 MW solar project that is likely to be connected to the national grid.

It is one of the largest renewable energy plant planned in Nepal, is one of the least developed countries, with more than 80% of its population residing in rural areas.

It has no oil, gas, or coal reserves, and its energy sector depends on traditional energy sources like firewood, crop residues, and animal dung for domestic use.

The majority of rural populations meet their energy needs by burning biomass in traditional stoves, and mostly fossil-derived fuels are imported. Also, the continuous increase of petroleum imports harms its fragile economy.

The sources of renewable energy are mini and micro hydropower, solar energy, various forms of biomass energy, biogas and wind energy etc. But still, around 85% of the total final energy consumption in Nepal is met by traditional biomass energy. 28% of households in Nepal do not have access to electricity.

Nepal aims to achieve universal access to clean, reliable and affordable renewable energy solutions by 2030. It is expected to reduce dependence on traditional and imported energy by increasing access to renewable energy.

The use of solar energy is more reliable than traditional electricity in Nepal. Private installations of solar panels are more frequent in urban areas used as a backup during power outages.

On average, Nepal has 6.8 sunshine hours per day with the intensity of solar radiation ranging from 3.9 to 5.1 kWh per meter square, with a commercial potential of solar power for grid connection estimated to be 2,100 MW.

In 2015, Nepal and the World Bank signed an agreement to invest USD 130 million to develop a 25 MW solar project, will eventually be connected to the national grid. It is the largest renewable energy plant planned in the country. The wind potential is available in the mountainous region.
Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment project has attempted to map the wind resource potential in Nepal, shown a prospect of wind energy with the prediction of about 3,000 MW of wind energy.

Despite its hydro-dominant policies, Nepal has established a semi-autonomous agency called the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre in 1996. It claims that more than 1.5 million families got access to electricity using renewable energy sources, especially in off-grid areas.

Meanwhile, rapid urbanization fueled by stable economic growth has already created a huge energy demand in Bangladesh, where electricity is the widely used form of energy.

At present, about 72% of the total population have access to electricity. Bangladesh is starving for energy for the last few decades since its power generation mostly depends on imported fossil fuel and natural gas. The present government has increased electricity generation, yet the grid electricity to the remote areas is difficult because of the lack of longstanding distribution facilities.

Bangladesh is hosting the fastest growing Solar Home System program in the world. Over 50,000 Solar Home System unit installed per month in the recent past. As of 2017, Bangladesh has the world’s biggest Solar Home System programme with about 5 million.

Over 30 million people are dependent on solar energy creating employment for over 100,000 people. It’s an off-grid success and over 12 per cent of the population outside the grid network is getting access to electricity through the installation of more than 4.5 million solar-home systems.

Bangladesh enjoys average solar radiation between 4 and 6.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per square meter per day and blessed with year-round sunshine. In terms of rural renewable energy development, the country has made significant progress by installing Solar Home Systems in off-grid areas.

Back in 1996, it became popular among the rural people for its affordable monthly instalment facility at the price of kerosene. It became a successful financial model for rural development.

A strong network of supply chain and branches also help Solar Home System become popular and acceptable.

A community-based solar approach such as solar irrigation pumps, solar mini-grid, arsenic water treatment plants, and solar street lights have the potential of solar energy. These are engaging the community people by ensuring food security, arsenic-free pure water, and improved socio-economic conditions in off-grid areas of Bangladesh.

However, Bangladesh solar mission is designed to achieve SDGs by 2030.

To facilitate thousands of rural villages through the next decade, moving towards renewable energy can bring a smile to the rural population by developing agricultural output, offering food security, providing modern facilities, creating new businesses and jobs for both men and women.

Bangladesh’s solar mission may gradually guide the nation towards renewable energy and become the first solar nation by 2041.

The go-for renewables for both countries depend on continuous government and donor support and public-private partnerships. The extension of natural resources based on electricity is always perilous for the environment than renewable energy.

The use of renewables has been seen as viable alternatives to meet the existing demand for power supply for both countries. Despite huge potentials, both countries have yet to exploit solar energy to meet the energy needs.

Climate Migration And Health Hazards In Bangladesh – Analysis

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Migration
Climate Migration And Health Hazards In Bangladesh – Analysis

Most parts of South Asia are both highly populated and highly exposed to the impacts of climate change. Bangladesh is one of those areas that receive the utmost attention because of climate risks and climate migration. It is likely about 15 million people from Bangladesh only could be on the move by 2050 because of climate migration.

Climate Migration And Health Hazards In Bangladesh – Analysis
Climate Migration And Health Hazards In Bangladesh – Analysis

Publishers: Eurasia Review

Date of Publish October 28, 2017

Climate Migration And Health Hazards In Bangladesh – Analysis

Most parts of South Asia are both highly populated and highly exposed to the impacts of climate change. Bangladesh is one of those areas that receive the utmost attention because of climate risks and climate migration. It is likely about 15 million people from Bangladesh only could be on the move by 2050 because of climate migration.

The Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta has identified as the hot spots of climate change in this region. It is a particularly low-lying and therefore vulnerable coastal zone.

Internal migration is happening in Bangladesh; large populations are already being displaced or have decided to migrate due to cyclones and riverbank erosion. We found migration from the southern region Satkhira, Kuakata, Shoronkhola, and Potuakhali. 

Climate change is likely to increase migration out of the western and southern districts of Bangladesh. Those districts are prone to drought, floods, and cyclones.

Floods and tropical storms are reasons for internal migration in Bangladesh. There is also evidence of abrupt, short-range population movement can, at least indirectly, also influence longer-range migration. Therefore, the effect of climatic drivers has a drastic impact on livelihoods in Bangladesh.

Soil and water salinization and riverbank erosions are some of the other causes of migration in Bangladesh. It put an additional strain on people’s livelihoods and physical health. 

Among the drivers of migration are also tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, which could increase in intensity by 2050 due to climate change under a business-as-usual scenario.

In a 4°C world, a sea-level rise of 62 cm by 2080 could result in a loss of 13% of Bangladesh’s coastal land area and lead to flooding of 20% more land than currently.

However, a 15 cm sea level rise by 2030 would lead to 3% of land loss and 6% of total flooded area increase. Sea level rise will likely increase the risk of health hazards, mostly diarrhoea and cholera. Cholera germs find a more favourable habitat and are spreading in the coastal area.

Vibrio cholera is the causing microbe of cholera. It survives longer with the salinity level of the water ranging from 2.5 ppt to 30 ppt. Thus, sea-level rise, by increasing flood risk, increases the risk of cholera outbreak too. Increasing salinity levels also lead to increased incidences of hypertension in the coastal areas. It is a significant problem for expecting women and can even cause involuntary fetus abortion.

Increased average temperatures could prolong peak periods for vector-borne diseases, and extreme weather events, including cyclones and floods, may cause explosive outbreaks.

Internal migration can lead to increases in diseases, poor nutritional status resulting from overcrowding, a lack of safe water, food, and shelter. 

In Bangladesh, like other effects on health, population displacement may create conditions conducive to outbreaks of infectious diseases, further increasing the potential for transmission of vector-borne disease and hindering the future control of a disease.

Climate migration in Bangladesh has no clear jurisdiction so far; however, its progress will be the next challenge for the government. Still, it is unclear how the government will feed, house or find enough clean water for vast numbers of climate refugees in a country of 163 million people crammed into an area merely 56,977 mi² area.

Bangladesh should change the cultivation practices to boost food security, plant large areas of forest in flood-prone areas to cope with the emerging problems. 

However, climate change now poses a significant risk to human health, even if mitigation actions have taken globally. 

Adaptation measures will be needed in the coming decades to buffer some of the significant effects on human health.

The Royal Bengal Tiger population is at risk in Sundarbans

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Sundarbans

Bangladesh struggles to protect the threatened Bengal tiger population in Sundarbans, with unchecked poaching blamed for the alarmingly low numbers.

The big cats continue to be a “critically endangered” species, experts say.

“We have to stop poaching in the mangrove forests. In the past year alone, three unnatural deaths of the tiger is unfortunate,” M. A. Aziz, a zoology professor at the Jahangirnagar University of Bangladesh.

Tiger poaching is the reason for the significant fall in numbers, causes 97 per cent of the population lost in the past 100 years.

In the 2018 tiger census, there are 114 Bengal tigers in the Sundarbans, a slight increase from the 106 reported in the previous year. However, it is a dreadful fall in numbers since 2004, when the tiger population was 440.

Experts say the conservation of the big cat is in progress.

“We are continuously working to raise the tiger population, and our efforts are yielding good results as the latest census says tigers increased by eight,” Modinul Ahsan, a deputy project director with Bangladesh Forest Development.

In recent years, authorities have carried out round-the-clock smart patrols in the forests to create safe breeding environments for the tigers.

The forest department is in the progress of a tiger conservation project to be in place by early 2021 at an estimated cost of $400,000.

As part of the project, it will conduct the camera-trapping census again. Efforts will be to relocate the tigers once the project is in place.

About 1 million people in the neighbouring areas of the Sundarbans depend on the forest for their livelihoods. However, the government declared a large portion of the mangrove as a reserve forest.

The Tiger population is at risk in Sundarbans. A total of 38 tigers died in the last 20 years in Bangladesh Sundarbans. Last five months, two more tigers died of old age reasons in the Sundarbans.

Between 2001 and July 2020, 38 tigers died, 22 in the East Division and 16 in the West Division of the Sundarbans.

However, last year, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said the number of Royal Bengal Tiger in Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans increased to 114 from 106.

The latest Tiger Survey conducted in 2018 claims there were 114 tigers in the Sundarbans.

Climate change exposes Sundarbans tiger habitats.

Royal Bengal tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans could be wiped off by 2070 because of climate change and sea-level rise. 

Researchers forecast a Ceriops-dominated mangrove stretch along the India-Bangladesh border would potentially be the last refuge of the big cats in the Sundarbans.

Bangladesh and Australian researchers have conducted this study. The journal Science of The Total Environment published it.

“Our studies show a rapid falling-off the Royal Bengal tiger population and suitable tiger habitats in the Bangladesh Sundarbans area by 2050,” said the corresponding author of the study, Sharif A. Mukul.

With more than 10,000 square kilometres of areas, the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh and India is the most critical area for Bengal tiger survival.

“We found that climate change has a higher impact on Bengal tiger in Sundarbans rather than the sea level rise alone,” said Mukul, an assistant professor at Independent University, Bangladesh.

The study considered sea level rise as a consequence of climate change. The researchers examined suitable tiger habitats in the mangrove ecosystem where the tigers prefer to live. This space along the India and Bangladesh borders in the Sundarbans and is the site of Bangladesh’s Sundarban West Wildlife Sanctuary.

In Bangladesh Sundarbans, the three wildlife sanctuaries are Sundarban West, South and East. These sanctuaries cover around 23 per cent of the total Sundarbans reserved forest owned by the Bangladesh Forest Department.

The sanctuary of the Sundarbans increased from 139,700 hectares to 317,900 hectares among 601,700 hectares of forest area.

Considering this fact, it is inadequate. We know Sundarbans is the largest wild habitat of Bengal tigers and the only place where tigers are adapted to live in mangrove ecosystems.

Climate change predictions to determine the impact on tigers

In both scenarios, the combination of climate change and sea-level rise will lead to the total loss of Bengal tiger habitats in the area. 

Important factors linked to this decline are rainfall in the summer season, vegetation (mangrove species) and maximum temperature of the warmest month.

The reason could be the control of Ceriops Decandra species of mangroves in this border stretch where salinity is relatively higher than the rest of the Sundarbans. Climate change would drive a tree species shift and also trigger extreme weather events adding to the effects of sea-level rise.

Health decline of Sundari trees in Sundarbans

However, there is no significant decline in the number of mangroves in the Sundarbans for the last 30 years. However, there is evidence of a 25% health decline of the mangrove trees. And, it is due to the effect of increased salinity on the Sundari tree. But the continuing climate change could critically hamper its ability to reborn.

Most significantly, the ‘top-dying disease’ is a cause for declining 15% of trees in the Sundarbans since the 80s.

Unfavourably, the Sundari tree is less tolerant of high salinity levels than other mangrove species and has previously identified as suffering from die-back due to rising salinity.

Tiger conservation

The government of Bangladesh should prioritise tiger conservation by designating more areas for tiger conservation, create corridors for transboundary tiger movements.

The fate will be the same in entire Sundarbans if the governments don’t take the necessary action to conserve and allow more areas dedicated to tiger conservation. Transboundary conservation measures by the Bangladesh and Indian governments are urgent.

Zulker Naeen

Climate Journalist

Zulker Naeen is a South Asia Fellow at Climate Tracker and a freelance climate journalist.

As a young climate advocate, his fellowship aims to share knowledge of climate change. Climate Tracker is a global media network that closely works on Climate Change.

A Harsh Reality of Bangladesh: Water Security, Salinity Intrusion, and Internal Migration

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Salinity
A Harsh Reality Of Bangladesh: Water Security, Salinity Intrusion, And Internal Migration

Over the past 35 years, salinity intrusion in Bangladesh has increased by about 26 per cent, with the affected area expanding each year. A combination of tidal flooding, inundation by storm surges and saltwater intrusion has led to a rise in salinity in the groundwater and the fresh-water ponds.

A Harsh Reality of Bangladesh: Water Security, Salinity Intrusion, and Internal Migration

A Harsh Reality Of Bangladesh: Water Security, Salinity Intrusion, And Internal Migration – OpEd

Publishers: Eurasia Review

Date of Publish: April 30, 2018

In recent years, development experts around the world are intensely concerned about water security. According to FAO, a third of the world’s population depends on groundwater. The UN has already warned of the danger of overusing these reserves. Groundwater reserves in part of India’s Ganges basin could be drained dry within decades, it says.

However, we are overlooking the harsh reality of Bangladesh. 

The melting of glaciers and snowpack in the Himalayas has swollen the rivers that flow into Bangladesh from Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and India. Also, India diverts large quantities of water for irrigation during the dry season and release most water during the monsoon season.

The Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta already has identified as one of the hot spots of climate change effects. It laid Bangladesh in a most vulnerable situation, which has already brought droughts that lead to acute water shortages and affect agricultural output.

Equally, Bangladesh has to face a severe flood every four to five years. Rapid erosion of coastal areas has inundated dozens of islands in the Bay. Last two decades, we have already lost 90 per cent of Sandwip Island’s original 23-square-miles. In recent years, riverbank erosion is displacing between 50,000 and 200,000 people annually.

Among other South Asian countries, Bangladesh should receive the utmost attention because of climate risks and water security. It is expected, about 15 million people from Bangladesh only could be on the move by 2050 because of climate migration.

Over the past 35 years, salinity intrusion in Bangladesh has increased by about 26 per cent, with the affected area expanding each year. A combination of tidal flooding, inundation by storm surges and saltwater intrusion has led to a rise in salinity in the groundwater and the fresh-water ponds.

About 70 per cent of people in the region depend on pond water for drinking and domestic use, as the groundwater is extreme saline, according to Golam Rabbani, a fellow at the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies.

According to the World Bank, climate change is likely to increase river and groundwater salinity dramatically by 2050 and exacerbate shortages of drinking water and irrigation in the southwest coastal areas of Bangladesh. 

It will adversely affect the livelihoods of at least 2.9 million poor people in a region where 2.5 million people are already struggling with a lack of water.

“We can’t drink the saline water, can’t take a bath with it. If the utensils washed with this water, they get damaged, even for cooking, we have to bring water from far,” says Khadija. The impact of the acute drinking water crisis in Bangladesh is borne disproportionately by women who, like Khadija, are the family members traditionally responsible for collecting water.

Already, internal migration has observed strongly; a large population is already being displaced or has decided to migrate due to water salinization, cyclones and riverbank erosion. We found many migration stories from the southern region Satkhira, Kuakata, Shoronkhola, and Potuakhali district of the country.

The increasing salinity of the soil in coastal villages has not just made safe drinking water hard to come by; it has also made rice farming, the region’s traditional occupation, nearly impossible. Landless labourers face livelihood challenges and have large households with many dependents who are most likely to migrate. Rabbani explains. “About 90 per cent of the people who migrate are men, leaving the female members of the household behind.”

According to the World Bank, it has estimated that 400,000 people from different parts of Bangladesh move to Dhaka each year. International Organization for Migration surveyed 160 migrant households in Dhaka, around 66 per cent said that they migrated because of changing climate conditions and environmental hazards.

However, sea-level rise has resulted in the loss of hundreds of acres of mangroves across coastal Bangladesh. Further loss of mangrove habitat, especially in the Sundarbans, means that Bangladesh will lose one of its last natural defences against climate change-induced super-cyclones.

Engineering adaptations to climate change, such as the construction of dykes is not a sustainable solution in Bangladesh because the soils are sandy and constantly shifting. However, it has financed 4,000 miles of coastal embankment projects to adapt to climate change.

So, Bangladesh needs to send the message out loud and clear to the entire world about the absolute need to confront this harsh reality head-on.

Zulker Naeen, the writer, a communication graduate from the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), is a freelance journalist at Climate Tracker. naeenzulker@gmail.com

References

Bagri, N. (2017). Bangladesh’s water crisis: A story of gender. Doha: Aljazeera.

Bhalla, N. (2018). World Has Not Woken Up to Water Crisis Caused by Climate Change. New Delhi: Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Glennon, R. (2017). The Unfolding Tragedy of Climate Change in Bangladesh. New York: Scientific American.

Gremmel, R. (2018). The world’s taps are rapidly running dry. Johannesburg: Mail & Guardian.

Articles by Zulker Naeen: A Portfolio of Freelance Journalism

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Journalism
Articles By Zulker Naeen A Portfolio of Freelance Journalism

Zulker Naeen is a freelance journalist, usually writes on environmental and climate change issues. 

He covers stories of climate change-induced food insecurity, natural calamities, and migration. As a citizen of one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, he works closely with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for children and grassroots women.

He actively involves with the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which makes him an environmental conscious youth. 

Zulker is also one of the South Asia Fellows under Climate Tracker, is a global media network of Climate Change.

He is one of the Train the Trainer Certified Journalists, can offer any effective climate change communication, empower qualified journalists to deliver training on the major climate journalism topics and establish a certification process for journalists. 

He has a master’s degree in Communications and a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and Journalism from the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh.

He has contributed to many course development with the support of other Climate Tracker staff. As a young climate advocate, his fellowship aims to share knowledge of climate change.

Communicating Climate Change is to promote knowledge on climate change issues and to cover journalism skills. We’re opening this extensive course to prepare the next climate journalist. 

Zulker Naeen is opening up a course to prepare the next journalist to promote Climate Journalism in Bangladesh. 

Published Articles by Zulker Naeen

Here are the published stories by Zulker Naeen. 

He focuses his writings on renewable energy, climate and health, energy access, energy democracy, climate migration, loss and damage, solar irrigation, and vector-borne disease.

Bangladesh: Solar power industry is yet to stand on its own feet.

Aug 5, 2018, | Sun-Connect News

This article is on the low level of solar power development achieved in 2018 by Bangladesh. It would be impractical to believe that the solar power development in Bangladesh would reach anything near the projected target by 2021.

A Harsh Reality of Bangladesh: Water Security, Salinity Intrusion, and Internal Migration

Apr 30, 2018, | Eurasia Review

This article is on how Bangladesh in a most vulnerable situation in terms of water security in recent years, salinity intrusion in the coastal region, and internal migration.

Energy democracy: Ensuring electricity to all

Mar 29, 2018, |The Himalayan Times

This article is about ‘Energy Democracy’. It explains how ‘energy democracy’ is the next tipping point to improve the quality of life for the world’s most disadvantaged and poor.

Bangladesh: Natural Solutions to Battle Climate Change

Mar 14, 2018, | Eurasia Review

This article has emphasized the natural climate solution can help address climate change in three ways: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, capturing and storing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and improving the resilience of ecosystems.

Bangladesh: Balanced Energy Mix May Establish Energy Democracy

Feb 15, 2018, | Eurasia Review

This article tries to explain the concept of energy democracy in Bangladesh. It tries to understand this concept, where Bangladesh may consider energy as—both fossil fuels and renewable.

No Alternatives to Halt Betting On Dirty Coal!

Jan 25, 2018, | The Financial Express

This article has illustrated how opting for more coal-fired power plants is threatening the programme of cutting greenhouse gas emissions. However, the expansion of coal is on the costs without factoring in health and environmental impacts.

Unclear Financing Mechanisms Noted During Recent Climate Talks In Germany

Dec 11, 2017, | TalkAfrica

This article is on the latest round of UN climate talks and the clear direction on climate adaptation measurements and climate finance in vulnerable countries. It also describes the uncertainty while there is no estimate of how much money is needed by countries suffering climate change-induced loss and damage now and in the future.

Loss and Damage in Global Climate Agenda: An Illusion for Vulnerable Countries

Dec 11, 2017, | Perspective Bangladesh

This article is on “Loss and Damage”, a focal dialogue of the international climate policy arena. However, the workstream to create the Paris rulebook doesn’t include ‘Loss and Damage’ as an agenda point. It also illustrates how vulnerable countries are in confusion about the progress of climate negotiation.

Climate Change: Insurance For ‘Loss and Damage’ is a Puzzle

11, 2017 | The Financial Express

This article is on “Loss and Damage” Insurance, to provide insurance to 400 million poor and vulnerable people by 2020. It also illustrates why this insurance scheme is not a safety net for the vulnerable countries which are still in confusion about the progress of climate negotiation.

Insurance For ‘Loss and Damage’: Still An Illusion For The Vulnerable Countries

Dec 1, 2017, | South Asia Journal

This article has briefly discussed ‘Loss and Damage’, considered as a third pillar in the worldwide effort to combat climate change, along with mitigation and adaptation.

Food Security In Doubt: Current Phase Of Bangladesh

Nov 4, 2017, | Eurasia Review

This report is on the recent threats to food security because of the damage caused by two successive floods: the flash flood during April and the monsoon flood since late June.

Climate Migration and Health Hazards in Bangladesh

Oct 28, 2017, | Eurasia Review

This report is on internal migration and health hazards in Bangladesh. It also describes how Bangladesh has received the utmost attention because of climate risks and climate.

Climate Change and Spread of Dengue and Malaria in Asia

Oct 27, 2017, | Glocal Khabar

This report describes how climate change creating new uncertainties for human exposure to vector-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria.

Success on Solar Irrigation System in Bangladesh Yet To Achieve

Oct 17, 2017 | Sun-Connect

This report is on the groundbreaking success of the solar irrigation system in Bangladesh. It describes how farmers are moving in solar-run irrigation pumps instead of the diesel pump.

Is solar irrigation a groundbreaking success for Bangladesh?

Oct 12, 2017, | Dhaka Tribune

A new way of extracting groundwater using solar energy has opened up a new door in the agriculture sector of Bangladesh. This article described how solar energy in irrigation becomes popular owing to cost-effective financing and innovative business model.

Renewable Energy: Huge Potentials

Oct 6, 2017, | The Himalayan Times

This article is about the current growth of renewable energy in Bangladesh and Nepal. It also explains why renewable sources can be a viable alternative for the existing power supply for both countries.

Towards Renewable Energy: Nepal and Bangladesh

Oct 5, 2017, | Nature Khabar

This article is about the current growth of renewable energy in two South Asian countries, Bangladesh and Nepal. It also explains how renewable sources can be a viable alternative to meet the existing demand for power supply for both countries.

Success On Solar Irrigation System in Bangladesh Yet To Achieve

Oct 2, 2017, | Perspective Bangladesh

This article is about the success of the solar irrigation system in Bangladesh. This report also describes how Bangladesh has emphasized RE and its current progress.

Bet on Coal Threatens Heritage

Aug 3, 2017, | Talk Africa

This article is about the coal disillusion in Bangladesh and Kenya, emphasized how both Rampal and Lamu coal-fired plants are also sending the wrong message to the world through an intensified move on more coal-fired power plants.

Sending The Wrong Signals

Jul 12, 2017, | Dhaka Tribune

This article is about the coal disillusion in Asia, emphasized how Bangladesh is also sending the wrong message to the world through an intensified move on more coal-fired power plants.

Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity and Wildlife Trade in Sundarbans

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Sundarbans
Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity Access and Wildlife Trade

Here is the context of a series report under several case studies on Sundarbans, which will analyse the impact of climate change on biodiversity access and wildlife trade.

Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest of the world, provides livelihoods for three to five million people from the southwest coastal belt of Bangladesh. It is also the home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, a great source of pride for Bangladesh. As a top predator and flagship species, the tiger plays a significant role to protect Sundarbans biodiversity. 

However, illegal poaching and wildlife trade are the top factors affecting tiger populations. A gang of over 30 jungle pirates are active in tiger killing and illegal fee collection from local forest resource of Sundarbans.

To protect biodiversity, the forest department is the steward of wildlife and natural resources of the Sundarbans. However, the team has limited survival resources, minimal logistical support, and security to conduct their work. Despite these challenges, one of the priority interventions is to advance patrol monitoring systems in the Sundarbans. 

The national park laws regulate the access to natural resources of Sundarbans. So, it is hard to monitor due to its landscape and tidal nature, dangerous animals and pirate activities along the Bay of Bengal. 

Moreover, wildlife trading of hides and skins, teeth and other bones, bushmeat is taking place. It is necessary to stop the illegal trading of wildlife products.

Besides, the Sundarbans faces several challenges due to climate change. With rising sea levels, islands are disappearing, and the increasing salinity in the water and soil has severely threatened the health of mangrove forests and the quality of soil and crops. 

Climate change has already produced numerous shifts in biodiversity and changes the livings of the local people.

Forests and agricultural systems are vulnerable to increased disease and pest outbreaks as a result of changing climate.

In these backdrops, this team aim to work with different cases on the Sundarbans.  

This team will closely monitor the impact of climate change on the biodiversity of the Sundarbans.  

They will try to find why local people are influencing the wildlife trade. 

This project is a joint project by Zulker Naeen, a south Asia Fellow at Climate Tracker and Mahfuzur Rahman, a special correspondent at Anada TV.   

 

Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity and Wildlife Trade in Sundarbans

About Zulker Naeen 

Zulker Naeen covers stories of climate change-induced food insecurity, natural calamities, and migration. As a citizen of one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Zulker focuses his work on climate change. He works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance.

Zulker involves in the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth. 

Naeen is also one of the Bangladeshi to win the South Asia Fellowship under Climate Tracker, is a global media network that closely works on Climate Change. 

Zulker is also a Train the Trainer certified journalist who can design any climate change journalism course. 

Zulker Naeen has developed courses with the support of other Climate Tracker staff. As a young climate advocate, his fellowship aims to share knowledge of climate change.

About Mahfuzur Rahman

Mahfuzur Rahman is a special correspondent at Anada TV and Millennium TV USA. His portfolio has more than fourteen years of experience in local journalism amid five years of Sundarban issues.  

He covers stories of Sundarbans and natural disasters of coastal areas of Bangladesh. As a correspondent of Bagerhat, Mahfuz focuses his work on Sundarbans and grassroots. He works with the different national media to report climate and environmental issues.

He teamed up with Zulker Naeen on a project focused on Sundarbans and climate change.

Recent Posts

Certificate: Climate Change in UNICEF’s Planning and Programming

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UNICEF
Climate Change in UNICEF’s Planning and Programming

In 2016 UNICEF developed an introductory course on Children and Climate Change in collaboration with the One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UNCC: Learn). At that time few professionals working in child development felt that they adequately understood the impacts that climate change has on the expected results of country programming.

This 3-hour course was widely distributed both within UNICEF and externally with more than 15,000 enrolments and 5,000 certificates of completion issued.

With the recognition of the growing importance of climate change as one of the fundamental development issues of our time, UNICEF wishes to build on this introductory course with a new and more applied course focusing on good practices in integrating climate change into country programming.

Certificate: Climate Change in UNICEF’s Planning and Programming

Why Integrating Climate Change in UNICEF’s Planning and Programming?

Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges of our time. In this course, you will discover the stark realities of climate change impacts across the world, as well as inspiring insights into opportunities for ensuring that we mitigate the risks and adapt our systems as best possible to reduce damage and destruction to lives and livelihoods. This course will remind us that tackling climate change is not only something to do for our children, but with them, and sometimes with them leading the way.

With a specific focus on UNICEF’s work and programming, this course will provide examples of the specific impacts of climate change on children. The course aims to inspire increased climate change action among professionals engaged in-country programming and will allow you to explore the many tools and resources that you and your organization have to support your efforts—and the involvement of youth in your specific work areas. You will learn about some of the outstanding work happening in the education sector in Viet Nam, one of many countries hard hit by climate change. Finally, you’ll learn about the innovative work being done to fund climate change action and how to ensure you and your organization can successfully access and advocate for the resources you need.

Thank you for being part of the movement to save lives and build stronger, more resilient tomorrows!

Target Audience

This course aims to train Development professionals engaged in UNICEF programming including UNICEF staff, UNICEF National Committees, government officials and UNICEF partner organisations.

Course Learning Objectives  

  • Describe why climate change matters for UNICEF and the interlinkages with UNICEF’s core programmatic areas.
  • Explain the key planning tools used at the country level to integrate climate change into country planning and programming efforts (e.g. SitAn, CLAC, GRIP).
  • Analyse examples of how planning tools have been used to integrate climate change into Country Office programming including in the area of WASH.
  • Describe the role of sectoral tools and frameworks in integrating climate change into programming, for example in the areas of WASH and Education.
  • Explain the key principles for designing climate programmes/projects and accessing climate finance.

Course at a glance

Module 1: Why Climate Change Matters for UNICEF and the World


Lesson 1: Climate Change is a Children’s Issue
Lesson 2: It Starts With You

Module 2: Stimulating Engagement


Lesson 1: Technical Tools and Resources
Lesson 2: Progress in Viet Nam: Integrating Climate Change into Education Programming

Module 3: Understanding Means of Implementation


Lesson 1: Financing Climate Change Action

Module 4: Wrap-up and Review


Assessment
Evaluation

Articles by Zulker Naeen

Here are the stories of the renewable energy of Bangladesh. Zulker focuses his writings on the success of solar energy and the use of energy efficiently in Bangladesh. He works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance. 

He involves in the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth. 

Is solar irrigation a groundbreaking success for Bangladesh?

Is solar irrigation a groundbreaking success for Bangladesh?

Publishers: Dhaka Tribune

Publish Date: October 11th, 2017

Brief of the article: 

It is a story on the new way of extracting groundwater using solar energy in Bangladesh. The use of solar energy in irrigation is now owing to cost-effective financing and an innovative business model.

Success on Solar Irrigation System in Bangladesh yet to achieve

Success on Solar Irrigation System in Bangladesh yet to achieve

Publishers: Sun Connect

Publish Date: October 17th, 2017

Brief of the article: 

This report is on the groundbreaking success of the solar irrigation system in Bangladesh. It describes how farmers are moving in solar-run irrigation pumps instead of the diesel pump.

Climate Change and Spread of Dengue and Malaria in Asia

Climate Change and Spread of Dengue and Malaria in Asia

Publishers: Glokal Khabar

Publish Date: October 27th, 2017

Brief of the article: 

This report describes how climate change creating new uncertainties for human exposure to vector-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria.

Energy Democracy: Ensuring electricity to all

Energy democracy: Ensuring electricity to all

Publishers: The Himalayan Times

Publish Date: March 29, 2018

Brief of the article: This article is about ‘Energy Democracy’. As energy access recognised as a key struggle for justice in the world, the concept of ‘energy democracy’ hence can be the next tipping point to improve the quality of life for the world’s most disadvantaged and poor.

Published Articles by Zulker Naeen

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Articles
A Portfolio of Environment and Climate Change Journalism

Here are the published stories of the renewable energy of Bangladesh. Zulker focuses his writings on the success of solar energy and the use of energy efficiently in Bangladesh. His reports focused on the concept of ‘Energy Democracy’.

Zulker works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance. 

His portfolio involves in the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth. 

Energy democracy: Ensuring electricity to all

Energy democracy: Ensuring electricity to all

Publishers: The Himalayan Times

Publish Date: March 29, 2018

Brief of the article: This article is about ‘Energy Democracy’. As energy access is a key struggle for justice in the world, the concept of ‘energy democracy’ hence can be the next tipping point to improve the quality of life for the world’s most disadvantaged and poor.

A Harsh Reality of Bangladesh: Water Security, Salinity Intrusion, and Internal Migration

A Harsh Reality of Bangladesh: Water Security, Salinity Intrusion, and Internal Migration

Publishers: Eurasia Review

Publish Date: April 30, 2018

Brief of the article: This article is on how Bangladesh in a most vulnerable situation in terms of water security in recent years, salinity intrusion in the coastal region, and internal migration which has been increased already.

Is solar irrigation a groundbreaking success for Bangladesh?

Is solar irrigation a groundbreaking success for Bangladesh?

Publishers: Dhaka Tribune

Publish Date: October 11th, 2017

Brief of the article: 

It is a story on the new way of extracting groundwater using solar energy in Bangladesh. The use of solar energy in irrigation is now owing to cost-effective financing and an innovative business model.

Success on Solar Irrigation System in Bangladesh yet to achieve

Success on Solar Irrigation System in Bangladesh yet to achieve

Publishers: Sun Connect

Publish Date: October 17th, 2017

Brief of the article: 

This report is on the groundbreaking success of the solar irrigation system in Bangladesh. It describes how farmers are moving in solar-run irrigation pumps instead of the diesel pump.

Climate Change and Spread of Dengue and Malaria in Asia

Climate Change and Spread of Dengue and Malaria in Asia

Publishers: Glokal Khabar

Publish Date: October 27th, 2017

Brief of the article: 

This report describes how climate change creating new uncertainties for human exposure to vector-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria.

A Portfolio of Environment and Climate Change Journalism

Here is the portfolio of Zulker Naeen, a freelance journalist, on environmental and climate change issues. 

Zulker Naeen covers stories of climate change-induced food insecurity, natural calamities, and migration. As a citizen of one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Zulker focuses his work on climate change. He works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance.

His portfolio involves the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth. 

Zulker is also one of the Bangladeshi to win the South Asia Fellowship under Climate Tracker, is a global media network that closely works on Climate Change. 

Zulker has completed the Train the Trainer: Effective Climate Change Communication, an initiative to convert this workshop resource into replicable modules, to empower qualified journalists to deliver training on the major climate journalism topics, and to establish a certification process for journalists. 

He has a master’s degree in Communications and a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and Journalism from the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh.

He has developed courses with the support of other Climate Tracker staff. As a young climate advocate, his fellowship aims to share knowledge of climate change.

Communicating Climate Change is to promote knowledge on climate change issues and to cover journalism skills. We’re opening this extensive course to prepare the next climate journalist. 

To promote Climate Journalism in Bangladesh, Zulker Naeen is opening up a course to prepare the next journalist. With this great objective, a team will run a three-month campaign to introduce this course among students with an extensive collaboration of the interested partners.

Moreover, this campaign aims to teach students between graduate and post-graduate. 

A social media campaign will run to promote this course. University faculty, expert, practitioners, and journalist will engage with this initiative. 

Key objectives of this course:

1. To give basic knowledge on climate change issues

2. To guide the participants on climate journalism topics

3. To launch a certification process for participants who wish to publish an article as a trainee journalist.

Latest Posts:

A Portfolio of Environment and Climate Change Journalism

6
Articles
A Portfolio of Environment and Climate Change Journalism

Here is the portfolio of Zulker Naeen, a freelance journalist, his focus is on environmental and climate change issues. 

Zulker Naeen covers stories of climate change-induced food insecurity, natural calamities, and migration. As a citizen of one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Zulker focuses his work on climate change. He works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance.

He involves in the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth. 

He is also one of the Bangladeshi to win the South Asia Fellowship under Climate Tracker, is a global media network that closely works on Climate Change. 

Zulker has completed the Train the Trainer: Effective Climate Change Communication, an initiative to convert this workshop resource into replicable modules, to empower qualified journalists to deliver training on the major climate journalism topics, and to establish a certification process for journalists. 

Zulker has a master’s degree in Communications and a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and Journalism from the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh.

Zulker Naeen has developed courses with the support of other Climate Tracker staff. As a young climate advocate, his fellowship aims to share knowledge of climate change.

Communicating Climate Change is to promote knowledge on climate change issues and to cover journalism skills. We’re opening this extensive course to prepare the next climate journalist. 

To promote Climate Journalism in Bangladesh, Zulker Naeen is opening up a course to prepare the next journalist.

With this great objective, a team will run a three-month campaign to introduce this course among students with an extensive collaboration of the interested partners.

Moreover, this campaign aims to teach students between graduate and post-graduate. 

A social media campaign will run to promote this course. University faculty, expert, practitioners, and journalist will engage with this initiative. 

Key objectives of this course:

1. To give basic knowledge on climate change issues

2. To guide the participants on climate journalism topics

3. To launch a certification process for participants who wish to publish an article as a trainee journalist.

Articles by Zulker Naeen

Here are the stories of the renewable energy of Bangladesh. Zulker focuses his writings on the success of solar energy and the use of energy efficiently in Bangladesh. He works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance. 

He involves in the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth. 

Is solar irrigation a groundbreaking success for Bangladesh?

Is solar irrigation a groundbreaking success for Bangladesh?

Publishers: Dhaka Tribune

Publish Date: October 11th, 2017

Brief of the article: 

It is a story on the new way of extracting groundwater using solar energy in Bangladesh. The use of solar energy in irrigation is now owing to cost-effective financing and an innovative business model.

Success on Solar Irrigation System in Bangladesh yet to achieve

Success on Solar Irrigation System in Bangladesh yet to achieve

Publishers: Sun Connect

Publish Date: October 17th, 2017

Brief of the article: 

This report is on the groundbreaking success of the solar irrigation system in Bangladesh. It describes how farmers are moving in solar-run irrigation pumps instead of the diesel pump.

Climate Change and Spread of Dengue and Malaria in Asia

Climate Change and Spread of Dengue and Malaria in Asia

Publishers: Glokal Khabar

Publish Date: October 27th, 2017

Brief of the article: 

This report describes how climate change creating new uncertainties for human exposure to vector-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria.

Zulker Naeen has already published more than fifteen newsworthy articles on climate change issues. These articles are especially on gender rights, health issues, and development issues.

Latest Posts

Facts: A remarkable decline of the Buffalo herding in Bangladesh

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Buffalo
Young buffalo herd was taken recently but salinity in Kutubdia by Mohammad Minhaj Uddin

We came up with key findings of a report Buffalo herding suffers in coastal Bangladesh as soil and water grow saltier, recently published in The Earth Journalism Network

Buffaloes are in an extensive decline in the coastal regions. The key reason is this decline includes diseases, cyclones, infertility, malnutrition, and shortages of grazing land. Most Buffalo herders have converted their grazing lands into salt fields. 

The Problem

People are moving away from herding buffaloes. According to the Bangladesh Agriculture Survey, from 2003 to 2019, the number of buffaloes declined by at least 51%. In the last 15 years, milk-producing buffaloes have fallen by around 60%. Now the contribution of buffalo milk to national milk production fell from 4% to 2%.

The Facts

To analyze the facts, it found that, increasing salinity, development activities and extreme weather conditions corroded the grazing land, making it hard for native buffaloes to survive. Buffalo herders have turned to producing salt, causing a decline in grazing land for buffaloes.

Why the decline

Around 75-80% of buffaloes in Bangladesh are raised in coastal and haor areas, both of which are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Increasing salinity has caused an acute shortage of drinking water for buffaloes and, consequently, a gradual decline in their numbers. In addition, it is one of the main reasons for the rise in diseases in buffaloes.

Anthrax, black quarter, hemorrhagic septicemia, and foot and mouth disease are also among the reasons meat and milk production have declined, and people are moving away from herding buffaloes.

A commercial shift

Buffalo has a significant connection to 4.6 crore coastal people’s lives and livelihoods. Coastal people mainly depend on buffalo rearing to meet their demand for protein and employment. Consequently, the sharp decline in the buffalo population has caused people to shift from buffalo rearing to other professions such as salt cultivation, day labour and fishing. Around 90% of herders are cultivating salt on their land now. Salt cultivation in Kutubdia has increased six-fold from 1990-2020.

Efforts to stop further decline are insufficient.

The Department of Livestock Services has tried to address the decline in the buffalo population through various schemes. The efforts rely on artificial insemination without prioritizing the breed of native buffalo and the threat of increased soil salinity.  

What kind of adaptation project should be for buffalo?  

Now it is time to take a buffalo adaptation project under the changing climate conditions, especially in coastal and haor regions. Only crossbreeds won’t stop the decline in the buffalo population. Unless taking conservation and improvement programmes, indigenous buffaloes will not survive. The offshore islands do not provide the required environment for the crossbreeds. 

The alarming decrease in the buffalo population needs to be studied urgently to determine the connection between the declining buffalo population and climate change. Such conservation and improvement programmes should undertake to save our native buffaloes from going extinct. 

Latest Posts

About Zulker Naeen

Zulker Naeen is a freelance journalist, covers stories of climate change-induced food insecurity, natural calamities, and migration. As a citizen of one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Zulker focuses his work on climate change. Zulker works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance. 

He involves in the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth.

He is also one of the Bangladeshi to win the South Asia Fellowship under Climate Tracker, is a global media network closely works on Climate Change. 

Zulker has completed the Train the Trainer: Effective Climate Change Communication, an initiative to convert this workshop resource into replicable modules, to empower qualified journalists to deliver training on the major climate journalism topics, and to establish a certification process for journalists. 

Zulker has a master’s degree in Communications and a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and Journalism from the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh.

He has developed courses with the support of other Climate Tracker staff. As a young climate advocate, his fellowship aims to share knowledge of climate change.

A journalist’s guide to biodiversity access and benefit-sharing

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Biodiversity
A journalist’s guide to biodiversity access and benefit-sharing.

There’s a multi-billion-dollar yearly trade in medicines, foodstuffs and industrial products derived from plants, animals, fungi and bacteria. But many such products have been commercialized without any of the profits returning to the countries and communities whose biodiversity and traditional knowledge made the innovation possible. And in some cases, biological resources have been accessed illegally.

Speakers:

Krystyna Swiderska | Principal Researcher, International Institute for Environment and Development

Alejandro Lago | Manager of the UNDP GEF Global ABS Project

Discussion: Speakers briefly discussed the following topics.

  1. What is Biopiracy?
  2. Commercialization of biological materials without any of the profits returning to the countries and communities.
  3. Illegal access to biological resources.
  4. Nagoya Protocol — to ensure legal access and guarantee that any benefits arising from the use of genetic resources are shared fairly and equitably.
  5. The impact of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) and national ABS laws/policies.

Topics

Biodiversity | Journalism Skills | Policies and Conventions

Tags

Biodiversity | Equity | Policies and Conventions| Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous knowledge

Beating the Biopirates

There is a multi-billion-dollar yearly trade in medicines, foodstuffs and industrial products derived from plants, animals, fungi and bacteria. However, many such products have commercialised without any profits returning to the countries and communities whose biodiversity and traditional knowledge made the innovation possible. And in some cases, biological resources have been accessed illegally.

That is why, in 2010, parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) reached a new agreement — called the Nagoya Protocol — to ensure legal accesses and guarantee that any benefits arising from the use of genetic resources are shared fairly and equitably. 

But what exactly is Access and benefit-sharing?

What are countries doing to meet their CBD commitments and ensure that companies meet their legal obligations? Are benefits flowing where they should?

Webinar Summary:

This discussion described the impact of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) and national ABS policies. 

Specifically, this legal framework is being used by the private sector, researchers, indigenous peoples, and local communities from 27 countries to develop innovative products to implement the SDGs.

What is Biopiracy?

Biopiracy means the unethical or unlawful appropriation or commercial exploitation of biological materials (such as medicinal plant extracts) that are native to a particular country or territory without providing fair financial compensation to the people or government of that country or territory.

Any case?

Jack Lo Lau, a Peruvian journalist, explained how Chinese Businessmen took maca powder from Peru without permission.

In the early 2000s, what has happened with maca is not China’s fault; it is Peru’s fault for letting their products leave the country and not protecting themselves.

About Zulker Naeen

Zulker Naeen is a freelance journalist, covers stories of climate change-induced food insecurity, natural calamities, and migration. As a citizen of one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Zulker focuses his work on climate change. Zulker works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance. 

He involves in the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth. 

He is also one of the Bangladeshi to win the South Asia Fellowship under Climate Tracker, is a global media network closely works on Climate Change. 

Zulker has completed the Train the Trainer: Effective Climate Change Communication, an initiative to convert this workshop resource into replicable modules, to empower qualified journalists to deliver training on the major climate journalism topics, and to establish a certification process for journalists. 

Zulker has a master’s degree in Communications and a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and Journalism from the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh.

He has developed courses with the support of other Climate Tracker staff. As a young climate advocate, his fellowship aims to share knowledge of climate change.

Beating the biopirates: A journalist’s guide to biodiversity access and benefit-sharing.

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Biodiversity
Beating the biopirates: A journalist's guide to biodiversity access and benefit-sharing.

Beating the biopirates: A journalist’s guide to biodiversity access and benefit-sharing. 

There is a multi-billion-dollar yearly trade in medicines, foodstuffs and industrial products derived from plants, animals, fungi and bacteria. However, many such products have commercialised without any profits returning to the countries and communities whose biodiversity and traditional knowledge made the innovation possible. And in some cases, biological resources have been accessed illegally.

That is why, in 2010, parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) reached a new agreement — called the Nagoya Protocol — to ensure legal accesses and guarantee that any benefits arising from the use of genetic resources are shared fairly and equitably. 

But what exactly is Access and benefit-sharing?

What are countries doing to meet their CBD commitments and ensure that companies meet their legal obligations? Are benefits flowing where they should?

Speakers

Krystyna Swiderska | Principal Researcher, International Institute for Environment and Development

Alejandro Lago | Manager of the UNDP GEF Global ABS Project

Webinar Summary:

This discussion described the impact of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) and national ABS policies. 

Specifically, this legal framework is being used by the private sector, researchers, indigenous peoples, and local communities from 27 countries to develop innovative products to implement the SDGs.

What is Biopiracy?

Biopiracy means the unethical or unlawful appropriation or commercial exploitation of biological materials (such as medicinal plant extracts) that are native to a particular country or territory without providing fair financial compensation to the people or government of that country or territory.

Any case?

Jack Lo Lau, a Peruvian journalist, explained how Chinese Businessmen took maca powder from Peru without permission.

In the early 2000s, what has happened with maca is not China’s fault; it is Peru’s fault for letting their products leave the country and not protecting themselves.

Read More:

Fighting for life: Bangladesh shrimp farmers destitute in wake of the cyclone.

Cyclone Amphan Emergency relief project report.

On the brink of destitution: Covid and climate change push Bangladeshi farmers back into poverty

Shrimp Culture: a chaotic trend of aquaculture in the coastal region of Bangladesh

The aquaculture practice in the southwest coastal area is traditional; however, a rapid expansion of shrimp culture took place at the advent of commercial shrimp cultivating due to higher economic returns. 

Shrimp cultivating is one of the few options for the economic development of the coastal region of Bangladesh. 

The aquaculture practice in the southwest coastal area is traditional; however, a rapid expansion of shrimp farming took place at the advent of commercial shrimp farming due to higher economic returns. 

It is a potential adaptation option for increasing salinity and other environmental stresses. The government has also promoted shrimp as a necessary climate change adaptation option in its national climate policy.

However, extensive shrimp cultivating is more likely to keep ecosystem harmony with dynamic balance by recycling and feedback mechanisms. Therefore, shrimp farming is also being considered a potential adaptation option to increased salinity in this region. 

Since the shrimp sector of Bangladesh includes more than 15 million people and the majority are small-scale farmers. However, the government is yet to establish well-structured institutional support to promote sustainable shrimp farming in southwest coastal Bangladesh. 

So, this natural and unsystematic shrimp cultivating is gathering impressive discourse because of its negative ecological results

Read More on Mangrove:

‘Shield the Mangrove’: The effects of mangrove deforestation in Sindh’s coastal regions.

UAE National Environment Day: 200 mangrove seedlings planted in Sharjah sanctuary.

Forest dept identifies 31 wetlands for conservation

Mangroves and coastal protection: A potential triple-win for Bangladesh

Read More

Climate change: Extreme weather reasons massive losses in 2020.

Coral reefs in danger until a radical decrease in greenhouse-gas emissions.

Climate change could cause 63 million migrants in South Asia by 2050

About Zulker Naeen

Zulker Naeen is a freelance journalist, covers stories of climate change-induced food insecurity, natural calamities, and migration. As a citizen of one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Zulker focuses his work on climate change. He works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance.

He involves in the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth. 

He is also one of the Bangladeshi to win the South Asia Fellowship under Climate Tracker, is a global media network that closely works on Climate Change.

Environment and Climate Change Journalist: Zulker Naeen

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Climate Journalism
Is Climate Journalism Course affordable

Zulker Naeen is a freelance journalist, covers stories of climate change-induced food insecurity, natural calamities, and migration. As a citizen of one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Zulker focuses his work on climate change. He works with the Climate Tracker to report climate resiliency for vulnerable women and access to climate finance. 

He involves in the Climate Tracker South Asia network, which improves the environmental consciousness of youth. 

He is also one of the Bangladeshi to win the South Asia Fellowship under Climate Tracker, is a global media network closely works on Climate Change. 

Zulker has completed the Train the Trainer: Effective Climate Change Communication, an initiative to convert this workshop resource into replicable modules, to empower qualified journalists to deliver training on the major climate journalism topics, and to establish a certification process for journalists. 

Zulker has a master’s degree in Communications and a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and Journalism from the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh.

Zulker Naeen has developed courses with the support of other Climate Tracker staff. As a young climate advocate, his fellowship aims to share knowledge of climate change.

Is Climate Journalism Course affordable in Bangladesh?

Climate Journalism Course is now affordable, unbelievable too. Moreover, this course aims to enhance understanding of climate change impacts on biodiversity.

Fortunately, this online course is for passionate writer and next journalists with limited experience engaging with climate change issues and ecosystem services interactions with biodiversity locally, nationally and internationally.

The course participants assess the climate change-related issues relevant to available articles in biodiversity, identify the topics and then follow appropriate writing style. 

Participants also develop a writing skill to relate the human-climate fact within 1 to 2 months after the training workshop.

Applicants to this training course need not demonstrate prior experience of journalism and how skills gained will be utilized after the workshop.

Communicating Climate Change is to promote knowledge on climate change issues and to cover journalism skills. We’re opening this extensive course to prepare the next climate journalist. 

You may not a subject matter expert, but you will become familiar with the concepts, approaches, and climate journalism staples. 

To promote Climate Journalism in Bangladesh, we’re opening this course on climate change to prepare the next journalist. With this great objective, we will run a three-month campaign to introduce this course among students with an extensive collaboration of the interested partners.

Moreover, this campaign aims to teach students between graduate and post-graduate. That is why; we are emphasizing their pattern of seeking information, to influence them to enrol on this course by ensuring their active participation.

A social media campaign will run to promote this course. University faculty, expert, practitioners, and journalist will engage with this initiative. 

Key objectives of this course:

  1. To give basic knowledge on climate change issues
  2. To guide the participants on climate journalism topics
  3. To launch a certification process for participants who wish to publish an article as a trainee journalist.

A summary of this curriculum—

  • Learning: Climate Change Issues in the context of Bangladesh 
  • Skills Development: Climate Journalism Staples
  • Content Training: Making the Climate-human Link
  • Evaluation: Online Exam
  • Reward: Certification

What the participants will learn

  • Basic Knowledge on Climate Change
  • Climate Issues
  • Climate and Health
  • Climate Change and its impact on Bangladesh
  • Climate Journalism Training
  • Climate Change Communication in Social Media

A portfolio of a Brand Designer: Zulker Naeen

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Designer
Brand Designer Profile: Zulker Naeen

No matter what kind of business you’re in, you need a brand designer to build a brand. Your brand is what makes you unique.

It’s what sets you apart from the competition and lets your customers know who you are and what you’re. If your brand is Oppo, your brand identity is the “camera phone.”

Designing your brand identity is a key—and because of its strategic approach, it’s not a task you want to tackle on your own. It takes a certain kind of talent, specifically, brand designers to build a brand from the ground up.

If you’re at the very beginning of the branding process, go with a brand designer.

Just, you may plan to launch your brand. If you’re not exactly sure the direction you want to take your brand, it is a great way to get input from a talented brand designer.

Role of Zulker Naeen as a brand designer.

He is a man behind the brand stories.

Zulker Naeen is a brand designer by profession. He is a communication graduate from the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.

He started his career as a copywriter, shifted his career as a market researcher later on.

Afterwards, as an individual practitioner, he has gathered a diverse knowledge of market research and brand designing.

His diverse portfolio says he is the smart guy behind four of the noted lubricants brands in Bangladesh.

His portfolios are fast-moving consumer goods, energy and power, automotive, and construction.

Google Zulker Naeen to find his extensive portfolio as a brand designer.

Zulker Naeen’s portfolio on Orient Lubricants

Zulker Naeen is looking after Orient Brand for the last five years as a market researcher and brand analyst. He mostly put his focus into brand development as well as its segment development. 

Orient Lubricants, which is the first of its kind to domestic lubricants brand, developed its strategy to reach customers from every segment of our country with competitive price option and variety feature based on the preferred customer.

Portfolio says he has worked closely on Orient Lubix Series, Orient Active Gear Series, Orient Ultima, Orient Ultra, Orient Automax, Orient Max 2, Orient Prima, EGO 4T and so on.

His research team usually analyze the product demand and segmentwise market size. 

Based on their findings, Orient extended its product line-up, with the introduction of various economy litter packs like 0.6 litres, 2liters, and 3liters.

That has enriched the “Orient Brand” with various pack size to be a pioneer of the economy brand in Bangladesh.

Orient is one of the fastest growing lubricant brands here in Bangladesh. It has been catering to the automotive and industrial segments since 2014. 

It has potential in several segments of this market.

Here, Orient has spread its product line-up into the automotive and the industrial oil segment.

Its repertoire of automotive products includes high-performance engine oils for buses, tractors, medium or light commercial vehicles, passenger cars, and two-wheelers.

Millions of users have at one time or another used Orient Lubricants for their purposes.

Orient is the flagship brand of Oriental Oil Company Limited, renowned marketers of several global brands in Bangladesh.

Communications Practitioner Profile: Zulker Naeen

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Communications
Communications Practitioner Profile: Zulker Naeen

Zulker Naeen is a Head of development of branding and communications in Bangladesh, Veedol International Limited UK. His expertise spans the process for developing a strategic communications plan that embeds the trust of their clients and customers.

Zulker’s know-how and field experience mean he has planned to support their clients in delivery to end-users of trusted solutions for the digital and wireless world.

Zulker Naeen – Head of Branding and Content, Bangladesh, Veedol International Limited UK.

Zulker manages Veedol’s branding, corporate publications and social media. He has been with the company for five years in marketing and communication roles based in Bangladesh and South Asia. Prior to this, he worked in Indruk Communications Limited. Zulker speaks English and Bangla and holds a Masters in Communications.

As a strategic planner of Veedol International Limited UK, how does your company value your social activity?

In Bangladesh and other parts of South Asia, we have been involved in social since late 2016 on a project basis but saw the value to apply to our whole organization and created strategic guidelines in late 2018. As a team, we always follow a campaign-based approach using our blog as the hub for our content. And we have seen the value in terms of awareness and web traffic.

Measuring the effectiveness of social media activity is a focus for corporations now. How does your company track the ROI that its social media activity delivers?

Our objective for social media activity is based on raising awareness for our corporate brand and promoting specific offers such as instant payment, the order in bulk or participatory competition. In terms of awareness, we measure the increased web traffic or followers while campaigns based on webinar inscriptions or whitepaper downloads.

What are the unique benefits of social media over other marketing channels?

Social media is likely to use as part of an integrated marketing campaign and we shouldn’t avoid the other channels. However, it offers many returns in terms of reaching people you couldn’t in a physical context and creating word of mouth, as consumers trust their friends more than a brand’s messages. It is also great for SEO and raising web traffic mostly in light of the latest changes to Google’s search algorithm, which favour frequently updated content-rich sites such as blogs over more static corporate sites.

“Social media needs to be used as part of an integrated marketing campaign”

Is social media integrated into existing marketing strategies? How do you go about social media in a broader marketing strategy?

Social only works well if it is an integrated one into wider activities. So, we work on a series of campaigns to promote the corporate brand and specific solutions where it is just one channel of the marketing mix. The mega campaign could also include a web element, tradeshows, direct emailing, PR, customer magazines and more.

Can you outline a recent marketing initiative that included a social media component? How is your company innovating in this area?

One of our high growth areas is insecure access to existing distribution networks. It is a noisy market and many influencers such as bloggers, consultants, analysts etc.

To increase the engagement, we used our blog, Twitter and agency to reach out to influencers to crowdsource the survey questions. The results became a series of blog posts and a whitepaper, which is for lead generation.

I do not believe the tools exist to track how social contacts become sales.

Is social media offering corporations real commercial opportunities to sell their goods?

There have been examples of consumer goods manufacturers such as Apple selling iPhone via Twitter. However, we work in a complex B2B environment with long sales cycles. So far, we do not have any commercial objective behind our activities – this may change later. Usually, we do not believe the tools exist to track how social contacts become sales.

Weaponizing Misinformation: How women become targets in times of conflict

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Gendered Misinformation
Weaponizing misinformation: How women become targets in times of conflict

The rapid dissemination of false claims targeting Hindu women reveals the dangerous intersection of how gender and religion are used during political instability

Zulker Naeen

This article was published in the Dhaka Tribune on September 13, 2024.

The resignation of Sheikh Hasina on August 5 and the subsequent collapse of the Awami League government caused a sudden power vacuum which provided a fertile ground for political tensions, as attacks took place on homes and establishments belonging to people of different religions.

Hindu communities have also been targeted in some cases. Subsequently, several Indian media outlets have circulated accounts of widespread attacks against the Hindu community in Bangladesh, raising serious concerns about the ulterior motives behind these reports.

Weaponizing Misinformation: How women become targets in times of conflict

Portraying violence specifically against Hindu women, the spread of false claims played a significant role in fueling communal tensions during the quota reform movement and after the downfall of the Awami government.

Was that the deliberate targeting of women in misinformation campaigns an intended move to incite communal violence? How do women become prime targets of disinformation disguised as victims of attacks during times of conflict and unrest?

However, Fact-Watch, an independent fact-checking organization, reviewed false claims about violence against minority women and how they were exploited as symbolic victims in these narratives to incite further division and unrest.

Gendered Misinformation
Weaponizing misinformation: How women become targets in times of conflict

This review involved analyzing over 25 fact-check reports from various institutions and print media in Bangladesh and India, from July 1 to August 31, with a focus on identifying patterns of misinformation related to communal violence and violence against women.

More than 50 accounts on X, 72% of which were based in India, played a key role in spreading misinformation by circulating images, videos, and content about recent events in Bangladesh, often framing them in a communal context that stoked fear and division among different religious communities. 

In 80% of the reports, inaccurate allegations and misinformation about violence against women were found.

The fact-checked reports highlighted several recurring patterns of violence against women and the spread of misinformation. Old videos and images from past incidents have been repurposed to create false claims of violence against women, with political violence often portrayed as religious or ethnic attacks. Likewise, false claims of celebrity assaults and attacks on homes have been spread to incite communal tensions, while harassment of female teachers has been misrepresented as evidence of religious persecution.

On the other hand, 55% of the disinformation content portrayed Hindu women as victims of violence, including murder, rape, and abduction. In comparison, 45% depicted Muslim women as victims under the guise of being Hindu. 

Equally, protests during the student quota movement were misleadingly framed as attacks on Hindu women in 40% of the content. However, 30% used old, unrelated videos to falsely claim communal violence, with no actual evidence of attacks on minority women.

Less obvious is the fact that only 15% of the content actually involved incidents with Hindu women, and these events were unrelated to gender-based violence or communalism. Compared to other cases, political violence was also manipulated, with 25% of the reports falsely claiming that female members of the Awami League’s student wing were attacked as Hindu women.

Furthermore, 20% of the content falsely claimed that Hindu female teachers were forced to resign under pressure. Despite this, videos of Muslim teachers being harassed were misrepresented as Hindu incidents, fueling further disinformation.

Misinformation is the frequently used tool to fuel communal tensions; however, findings show that the victimhood of Hindu women is being portrayed as the root cause of communal violence. The use of false videos and images has been circulated to create the perception that the Hindu community is under constant threat.

It makes women more vulnerable while also marginalizing religious minorities, creating a lasting obstacle to social harmony and stability

False claims regarding the rape of a Dalit Hindu woman and the misuse of old videos depicting sexual assault are sensitive examples of how disinformation is weaponized. Incidents involving Hindu women, such as false reports of forced resignations of teachers and abductions, are exaggerated or fabricated to stir communal tensions.

Similarly, prominent figures have been falsely implicated, portraying Hindu women as the main victims of communal violence. These narratives have diverted attention from the actual political events, such as attacks on female leaders during anti-government protests, which were spun as communal violence against Hindu women.

The rapid dissemination of false claims about women during political instability shows how gendered disinformation is used to gain public sympathy and provoke communal tensions.

False claims of sexual violence involving old videos being linked to recent incidents were identified as a tactic used to create sensationalized content both for social media platforms and media outlets. These false claims unequivocally fuel communal division by consistently portraying the Muslim community as aggressors against Hindus.

The spread of misinformation targeting Hindu women reveals the dangerous intersection of gender and religion in these contexts. It makes women more vulnerable while also marginalizing religious minorities, creating a lasting obstacle to social harmony and stability.

Religious misinformation frequently weaponizes gender-based violence to justify attacks; however, the spread of false narratives targeting Hindu women, which exposes their safety and rights, was strategically employed to incite communal violence, ultimately contributing to prolonged societal unrest.

This highlights the urgency of addressing the nature and impact of this misinformation to protect vulnerable groups from being used as pawns in political and religious conflicts.

This review demonstrates that gendered misinformation not only disregards women’s status but also curtails their political participation. On the whole, the use of gendered misinformation as a tool to promote communalism is alarming, requiring ongoing vigilance to combat these harmful narratives.

Most importantly, the portrayal of violence against Hindu women has reframed communal violence as a regional issue, creating a complex set of dual barriers in society. 

On the one hand, this narrative further marginalizes women by exploiting their victimhood for political purposes.

On the other hand, it deepens communal divides, positioning religious minorities as targets and fueling inter-religious tensions. 

By strategically exploiting the vulnerabilities of women in the context of communalism, it is essential to critically examine and challenge these false narratives to promote societal stability and gender equality.


Zulker Naeen is a Research Coordinator at the Centre for Critical and Qualitative Studies, at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh. He is reachable at naeenzulker@gmail.com. This report is drawn from research findings on “Violence Against Women and Misinformation: A Fact-Check Analysis of Recent Communal Attacks in Bangladesh” by the author, as part of a working paper published by Fact-Watch.

Anti-India Sentiment On Rise: A Warning Sign Of Misleading Narratives

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This Op-Ed has been published in Eurasia Review on August 20, 2024

By Zulker Naeen

The political landscape in Bangladesh has experienced a seismic shift following the resignation of the longest-serving Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, from her post, and her fled to India due to anti-quota protests by students. The ousting of Hasina, who had held power for nearly 16 years, was the fruit of a nationwide protest movement spearheaded by the youth— the students of Gen-Z of Bangladesh.

This movement, which has been hailed as a “Gen-Z Revolution,” was not only aimed at toppling an authoritarian regime but also at laying the groundwork for a new and reformed Bangladesh. Now, textbooks are being rewritten to conceal the tumultuous history of the nation’s darker periods of anarchy and authoritarianism.

Anti-India Sentiment On Rise: A Warning Sign Of Misleading Narratives

Courtesy: Eurasia Review

Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, attacks have taken place on Awami League offices, leaders’ homes, and businesses in various districts. Hindu communities have also been targeted in some cases, raising concerns over a broader pattern of communal violence.

Indeed, there have been concerning reports of violence against minority communities. Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad reported 205 incidents of persecution of members of minority communities across 52 districts.

Many Bangladeshi student protesters, including members of the Gen-Z cohort, have taken proactive steps to protect Hindu temples and households from vandalism. Social media platforms like Instagram are filled with images of young students guarding these sites, aiming to dispel fears of religious violence and show solidarity with the Hindu community.

This complex situation has not only heightened tensions within Bangladesh but has also led to a ripple effect in neighboring India, where the issue has become a flashpoint on social media. Numerous posts have gone viral, purporting to show scenes of Hindus being attacked or persecuted in Bangladesh, fueling a surge of anti-Hindu and anti-India sentiment across the region.

In the past two weeks, numerous posts claiming to depict scenes from the protests have rapidly spread across platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and X in India, many of which have taken on a distinctly communal framework where numerous verified accounts have spread rumors and unverified claims as factual news.

The unchecked spread of rumors and fake news on platforms like X, combined with sensationalist coverage in mainstream Indian media, is creating a narrative that paints India as an antagonist rather than an ally.

For instance, Republic Bangla broadcast a report alleging that the Navagraha Temple had been attacked, a claim that has since been debunked as disinformation. At the same time, Sudarshan News broadcast the Lakshmipur shop fire video as part of their coverage of supposed attacks on Hindus. These reports have been widely shared and viewed, contributing to a growing perception in India that Hindus in Bangladesh are under siege.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the West Bengal Police stated that some local TV channels are violating the Press Council of India norms by reporting on the current situation in Bangladesh in such a communally inflammatory manner. They request people not to fall into the trap of one-sided, hateful, and misleading propaganda.

Many of these posts have been debunked by fact-checkers; it reveals a concerning trend of misinformation.

Independent fact-checking organizations like FactWatch and international news agencies such as BBC Bangla have published reports debunking several of these claims, confirming that the incident was falsely reported when Al Jazeera’s coverage highlighted the exaggeration of attack numbers by certain Indian media outlets.

Reports from Indian government-affiliated news agencies like ANI suggest a coordinated effort to depict the unrest in Bangladesh as a religiously charged crisis. A student leader from India told ANI that the student-led movement in Bangladesh was orchestrated by the nation’s adversaries—a narrative that BJP leaders have echoed; it has attributed the destabilization efforts to Jamaat-e-Islami.

Reports from Bangladesh, including those from Al Jazeera and other international media, have provided a starkly different perspective against these narratives. According to these sources, the attacks on the Hindu community were not primarily religiously motivated but were instead politically driven. Many of the targeted individuals were affiliated with the Awami League, suggesting that the violence was rooted in political retribution rather than communal hatred. Additionally, Hindu community leaders in Bangladesh have refuted the claims made by Indian media, stating that the attacks were politically motivated rather than communal.

Right-wing political groups in India have a vested interest in portraying the violence in Bangladesh as part of an anti-Hindu narrative. There is, therefore, a correlation between an increase in misinformation on Indian platforms and a rise in criminal activities and vandalism in Bangladesh, leading some within the country to suspect that pro-Awami League forces in India are intentionally promoting a narrative of communal unrest to destabilize the country.

While the attack against Hindus is true, the framing of these incidents as part of a broader anti-Hindu agenda is not universally accepted. The spread of misinformation, therefore, serves multiple purposes: it fuels communal tensions, undermines the government’s credibility, and provides a pretext for further crackdowns on opposition groups.

Recent exaggerated reports by certain Indian media outlets of violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh have already intensified anti-India sentiments among the country’s Gen-Z population. Even this generation, already critical of what they see as India’s meddling in Bangladeshi politics, is increasingly viewing India not as a democratic but as a nation driven by religious bias.

The portrayal of Bangladesh’s crisis through a religious lens by some Indian outlets suggests that the ongoing turmoil is primarily about religious tensions rather than a broader struggle for democratic rights. Yet, the focus on religious violence, often exaggerated or misreported, is intensifying anti-India sentiments among these young people, who feel their aspirations for a better Bangladesh are being overshadowed by an external agenda.

This generation, which has successfully mobilized against what they see as autocratic rule, is acutely aware of the power of information and the dangers of disinformation. They are keeping an eye on India—whether through government channels or social media influencers—as an attempt to undermine their movement.

Overall involvement of India in our political crisis and narratives, often portraying the unrest in Bangladesh as a precursor to religious extremism, is having a profound impact on how the youth in Bangladesh view India—not as a democratic ally but as a meddling neighbor with ulterior motives.

As these young people move into leadership roles, their current perceptions will likely influence how they engage with India globally. The growing anti-India sentiment among the new generation is not just a short-term issue—in the future, this could lead to a more strained diplomatic relationship.

If this distrust continues to grow, it could lead to a more strained and adversarial relationship, undermining decades of cooperation and mutual support. The potential for long-term diplomatic fallout is real, and both countries must recognize the dangers of allowing misinformation to shape public opinion.

Zulker Naeen

Zulker Naeen is a research coordinator at the Center for Critical and Qualitative Studies at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.

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