A two-day long capacity-building training for journalists on Road Safety in Bangladesh was organized by Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication (BNNRC) supported by Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) and Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP). The training was held on 11-12 September in Bangladesh.
The objective of the training was to share the burden of road crash in Bangladesh and reporting challenges with the journalist (focusing safe system approach), inform and sensitize journalists on the importance of preventing road crash (evidence-based approach) and share road crash reporting scenario and policy implications.
A total of 28 senior journalists from the Daily Newspaper, Public and Private TV channels, Online News Portals, and News Agencies including representatives from the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC) and Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) participated in the training.
Mr. Sohrab Hasan, Joint Editor, Daily Prothom Alo, Mr. Abu Rushd Md. Ruhul Amin, Senior News Editor Bangla Vision TV, Ms. Shahnaz Munni, Chief News Editor, News24, Mr. Kanai Chakraborty Deputy Chief Reporter, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Mr. Mainul Alam, Diplomatic Correspondent, Daily Ittefaq and Joint Secretary, National Press Club, Ms. Shahnaz Sharmeen, Chief Reporter, Nagorik TV and Joint Secretary DRU, Mr. Iqbal Karim Nissan, Chief News Editor, GTV, Ms. Jannatul Bakiya Keka, Special Correspondent, Channel I-TV, Mr. Rashed Rabbi, Senior Reporter, Daily Amader Shomoy, Mr. Jabel Ahmed, Senior Reporter, Daily Jugantor, Ms. Joysree Bhadury, Staff Reporter, Daily Bangladesh Pratidin, Mr. Zahidur Rahman, Staff Correspondent Daily Samakal, Mr. Saikat Bhowmik Senior, Correspondent , Sarabangla, Ms. Labony Guha Roy, Staff Reporter, Boishakhi TV, Mr. ASM Atiqur Rahman, Senior Correspondent, NTV, Mr. Hasan Misbah Senior Reporter Independent, Mr. Fazlur Rahman, Staff Reporter, Daily Janakantha, Ms. Afrin JahanSenior Reporter, Bangladesh Television, Mr. Shafikul Islam, Senior Correspondent United News of Bangladesh, Mr. Ibrahim Khalil Senior Reporter Jamuna Television, Ms. Sebika Debnath, Senior Reporter, Daily Bhorer Kagoj, Md. Maksud-un-Nabi, Senior Reporter, Channel 24, Mr. Mohammad Jamil Khan, Senior Correspondent, The Daily Star, Ms. Tawsia Tajmim, Staff Correspondent, The Business Standard, Mr. Shubhra Dev, Senior Reporter, Daily Manobjamin, Mr. Rezwan Biswas, Senior Reporter, Daily Kalerkantho, Mr. Nazrul Islam, Director Training, National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC), Mr. Pankag Karmakar, Assistant Professor, Press Institute Bangladesh, (PIB) were present in the training.
The 2-day long training was designed by the sessions like- Road Safety: Global Perspectives (Burden and Risk Factors), Global Initiatives for Addressing Road Traffic Crashes (UN Resolutions, The decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, SDGs and Road Safety), Road Safety Overview in Bangladesh- Scale of Road Safety Problems, Road safety challenges, Data Collection and Reporting Challenges in Bangladesh, Legislative Pathway: Road Transport Act 2018 and Road Safety Stakeholders in Bangladesh, Crash Investigation and Reporting and What to See in the Crash, Improving Road Safety Reporting/Reporting Ideas (include reporting exercise/activity), Advocacy for Road Safety-Road Safety Coalition, Bangladesh, Constructive Journalism on Road safety, Fact-checking and Verification Tools and Resources for Journalists for Reporting on Road Safety, Road Crash from a Different Angle, Media Monitoring, reporting in other countries (example and exercise).
The Sessions were facilitated by Ms. Ariana Childs-Graham, Director (Program), Ms. Mena El-Turky, Associate Director, Global Road Safety Program of GHAI, Mr. Taifur Rahman, Manager, Global Road Safety program, and Dr. Shariful Alam, In Country Coordinator, Bangladesh of GHAI, Kazi Shifun Newaz, Assistant Professor, ARI, BUET, Dr. Salim Mahmud Chowdhury, CIRPB, Mr. Ahmed Najmul Hussain, Director BRAC, and Mr. Ilias Kanchan, Chairman, Nirapad Sarak Chai (NISCHA).
In the opening session Dr. Shariful Alam , GHAI, Mr. AHM Bazlur Rahman, CEO, BNNRC and Mr. Abu Rushd Md. Ruhul Amin welcome the participants and facilitated by introduction session, where participants shared their existing exercises and expectations from the training.
Mr. Sohrab Hasan and Ms. Shahnaz Munni moderated the open discussion session while Mr. Mainul Alam, Mr. Iqbal Karim Nissan, Mr. Kanai Chakraborty, Mr. Abu Rushd Md. Ruhul Amin discussed and shared their experiences.
The training was concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr. AHM Bazlur Rahman, CEO, BNNRC, Ms. Ariana Childs-Graham, Ms. Mena El-Turky, Mr. Taifur Rahman and Dr. Shariful Alam .
It is expected that after the training the journalists are aware and sensitized about the importance of preventing road crashes and they also encourage to publish and produce more reports on Road safety issues following the evidence-based approach.