Staff Repoter :: Grameenphone, Telenor Group, and Unicef roll out ‘Child Online Safety Program’ to empower 400,000 children across Bangladesh. Grameenphone, Telenor Group, and Unicef have formally kicked off the safe internet outreach program in schools nationwide to create awareness and understanding of a safer internet environment for youth, as part of the agreement signed earlier this year in June.

The program, “Be Smart, Use Heart,” was officially launched on Wednesday and was inaugurated by State Minister of ICT, Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

rameenphone CEO Michael Foley, Deputy CEO Yasir Azman, CCAO Mahmud Hossain, UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Edouard Beigbeder, and Telenor Group Sustainability and Child Online Safety Specialist and VP, Ola Jo Tandre, were present for the launching program.

The program has been specially designed to engage and empower 400,000 children between 11 and 16 years of age, and to sensitize 50,000 parents, guardians, and teachers, on how to facilitate a safer digital experience.

The training in schools will focus primarily on building awareness on the safety measures for digital learning. The scope of the Child Helpline hotline (1098) service has been expanded to incorporate Child Online Safety issues, where the youth can receive counseling and other support directly from the hotline.

This initiative will help Grameenphone and Telenor Group support their global commitment to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10 – Reducing Inequalities.

Grameenphone has been actively advocating safer internet messages amongst children since 2014 and also reached out to 130,000 students nationwide.

In 2015, Grameenphone and Unicef also launched a parent’s guidebook for responsible internet usage and best practices.

BDPressRelease/SHS/27 September 2018