Page 96 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2022

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UNICEF Holds Program on Online Safety of Children in Bangladesh

“After opening the Facebook account, I Child Protection specialist, presented for safe online participation of children.
gave the password to a friend. He started her paper on "Enhancing Child Online Grameenphone Head of Communications
spreading various information, pictures Protection and Engaging Adolescents as Khairul Bashar said that in addition to the
from messenger to my relatives. I was Agents of Change in Bangladesh". She said awareness program, online safety should
humiliated in many ways by my family, that between 2018-2021, trained social be highlighted in textbooks. Unicef's Child
relatives. I was bullied by my friends. workers of UNICEF and MOSW received Protection Section Manager Elisa Kalpana,
After that, I was forced to change my 4,90,217 calls at Child Helpline 1098 (CHL) Grameenphone Head of Partnership and
Facebook account.” Sabina was sharing from children asking for cyber safety. In Strategic Project Rasna Hasan and Head
her experience online at the closing addition, during the Covid-19 pandemic, of Social Impact Farhana Islam, among
ceremony of the program, “Be Smart, Use the education of children and teenagers others, spoke on the occasion. According
Heart” on the theme “Online safety of was transferred to online platforms in to Unicef, more than 500,000 children and
every child in Bangladesh” at Bangladesh large numbers, so the issue of online adolescents, 470,000 secondary school
Shishu Academy in Dhaka. Kamrangichar safety has become essential. Therefore, students, 73,947 teachers and 50,000
resident Masuma shared a similar this program is being conducted with parents have been trained under the online
experience. Due to lack of security, this the aim of creating a safe learning space safety program.
student was eventually bound to change
her SIM and mobile phone. In a study, “An
Assessment of Viewership of the Online
Safety Intervention of Child Protection” by
Unicef, a survey was conducted on internet
users aged 10-19 years in 28 districts
of Bangladesh and 2.5% of adolescents
were found to have been victims of cyber
bullying in the last six months. At the end
of the research presentation, Dr. Suaib
Mohammad of Search Limited said that
although the percentage of bullying is low
here, its impact is very high. Due to cyber-
bullying, victims as well as their family
members are in danger. SM Latif, joint
secretary, Ministry of Women and Child
Affairs, said: "We are moving towards
the fourth industrial revolution – artificial
intelligence. But unfortunately, the negative
effects of the internet on us increase
further. About 70% of students now use the
internet. The internet is an addiction like
drugs. So, we need to know our limits while
using it.” Monira Hasan, Unicef Bangladesh

Ooredoo Finalizes Myanmar Exit Deal

Qatar’s Ooredoo Group has entered provider Ooredoo Myanmar and Ooredoo to divest from our Myanmar business is a
into a definitive agreement to sell its Myanmar Fintech Limited (OMFL). The direct result of this review to reshape our
Myanmar division to Singapore-based transaction is subject to customary closing portfolio as a leading telecommunications
Nine Communications for an enterprise conditions, including regulatory approvals company. It was important for us to make
value of approximately USD576 million in Myanmar. Regarding the sale, Ooredoo this call at a time when Ooredoo Myanmar
and total equity consideration of USD162 Group CEO and MD Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo is performing at its strongest to ensure
million. The sale comprises the transfer of was quoted as saying: ‘Ooredoo Group has the business continues from strength to
the Qatari Group’s 100% stake in Ooredoo gone through an extensive business review strength. We will ensure a smooth transition
Asian Investments (Singapore) (OAI), resulting in a reassessment of its overall with the least possible disruption adhering
the holding company that owns mobile strategic direction. The difficult decision to all local requirements.’

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