Workshop on “Digital Rights and Democratic Participation for Youth” held
The Information Science and Library Management (ISLM) Career Counseling Club at the University of Dhaka, in partnership with ASIS&T (South Asian Chapter) and Activate Rights, conducted a workshop entitled "Digital Rights and Democratic Participation for Youth" on Monday, 9 February 2026. The event took place at the ISLM Department in the Arts Building. Its goal was to equip students from Bachelor’s to Master’s programs with the necessary skills to navigate the ethical and technical challenges of today’s digital landscape. Following a selection process, fifteen students were chosen to participate in this workshop. The workshop commenced with a welcome address from Professor Dr. Md. Roknuzzaman, Chairman of Information Science and Library Management Department followed by from Professor Dr. Md. Shiful Islam, advisor of ISLM Career Counseling Club and Professor Dr. Md. Anwarul Islam, advisor to the South Asia Chapter of ASIS&T and the ISLM Career Counseling Club. Other faculty members of the ISLM Department joined the inaugural session. The workshop officially began at 11:00 AM with an introductory and ice-breaking session facilitated by Dewan Maruf Ahmed from Activate Rights. Following the inaugural remarks, the workshop was divided into three technical sessions:
The first technical segment, titled "Session 1: Human Rights in the Digital Era," was led by Minhaj Aman from Activate Rights and established the legal and ethical framework for the day. Aman defined digital rights as "the legal rights and freedoms to access, use, create and share information through online safely, freely and fairly". Minhaj Aman led the next part of the workshop, "Session 2: Information Integrity & Democratic Participation," exploring how information integrity directly influences democratic processes. A major portion of his talk was dedicated to the "lifecycle of info ecosystem," tracing the complex journey of how a single statement evolves into news, then a news release, and eventually into archival history. "Session 3: Digital Safety & Hygiene" was led by Dewan Maruf Ahmed, and this session, titled "Digital Hygiene 101," provided a practical toolkit for enhancing personal online security. Ahmed defined digital hygiene as the essential daily practices necessary for maintaining a safe online presence and highlighted the importance of managing one’s "digital footprints" for long-term privacy.
The workshop concluded with a reminder of the critical role of individual responsibility in online safety, reinforcing the idea that "every person should take greater responsibility from their own position. The workshop served as a vital platform for addressing the complexities of the modern information landscape. By bridging the gap between theoretical rights and practical safety, the ISLM Career Counseling Club, South Asia Chapter, ASIS&T, and Activate Rights successfully empowered students to become more conscious digital citizens. The core message of the event remained clear: in an era of information disorder and attention-driven economies, individual responsibility is the most effective defense.