Internews has been working in Bangladesh since 2017, providing technical assistance, capacity building, story grants, and networking opportunities for collaboration to journalists and civil society, as well as responding directly to the information needs of communities to advance social cohesion. By fostering a partnership with these local actors and other stakeholders, Internews helps to enrich the information ecosystem to advocate for freedom of expression in the midst of narrowing civic space and safety challenges.

In this context, Internews’ Strengthening Independent Media in Bangladesh (SIMB) project, as funded by the U.S. Department of State, has trained over 70 journalists from six media houses on how to use Right to Information Law to advance their reporting; and 57 other journalists from across 35 districts in investigative reporting best practices.

In response to growing safety threats, Internews has further trained over 100 journalists on digital and physical safety and produced a digital security handbook for journalists. The project connects local journalists, media organizations, and NGOs to build a collaborative network whilst adapting our activities to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.