|| MM Rahmatullah: Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has said that ensuring citizens’ right to information remains a top priority of the government, alongside safeguarding people from misinformation and disinformation.Speaking at a view-exchange meeting with members of the core group of the Right to Information Forum held at the ministry’s meeting room at the Secretariat on Monday morning, the minister stressed that free flow of information must be balanced with accountability mechanisms to prevent the spread of false or misleading content.“However, apart from ensuring free flow of information, it is equally important to protect the people by preventing the spread of misinformation and disinformation,” he said, adding that growing information access has also been accompanied by rising challenges of misinformation.He noted that the suspension of the Right to Information (Amendment) Ordinance in the Jatiya Sangsad was linked to specific considerations, and emphasized that an effective legal framework would be developed by incorporating feedback from stakeholders.“The more information, the more truth—for this reason, it is very important to ensure the free flow of information. At the same time, we must also decide how to protect the institutional character of the Information Commission,” he added.The minister also called for stronger fact-checking and screening mechanisms and sought constructive recommendations from stakeholders for amending the Right to Information Act. He assured that all relevant parties would be involved in the law-making process.State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yeaser Khan Choudhury attended the meeting as a special guest.Representatives from civil society and rights organizations also took part in the discussion, including Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh Iftekharuzzaman, SHUJAN Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, Information Secretary Mahbuba Farjana, and MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman Mukur, among others.They presented a range of reform proposals aimed at strengthening the Right to Information Act and ensuring the free flow of reliable information in the country.