Dhaka:The Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) has announced the selection of four research proposals from a pool of 171 submissions, each set to receive a grant of Tk 3 lakh. The researchers are expected to complete their studies within six months.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the selected researchers include Tashahud Ahmed Rafim and Muhammad Muzzammil Haque from Dhaka University's Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Naimul Hasan, an associate professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, USA, and Mir Huzaifa Al Mamduh, a researcher at Drik Trust.
Rafim's research will involve a comparative analysis of South Asian media coverage of the July Mass Uprising. Hasan's project will focus on the media's role in reporting extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh using artificial intelligence-based analysis from 2009 to 2024. Al Mamduh will study TikTok and digital class divisions, addressing experiences of marginalization. Haque will explore crisis-time information flows and digital activism, specifically the use of new media during the July 2024 Mass Uprising.
Proposals for these grants were solicited through advertisements in four national newspapers on August 26, 2025, targeting contemporary issues in media and journalism, such as misinformation, disinformation, digital journalism, and the application of artificial intelligence.
The selection process involved a thorough assessment of the proposals' structure, content, and budgets, culminating in a three-stage evaluation by a jury board of a PIB representative and two university professors. Although initially planning to select five proposals, only four met the quality standards required.
The grants' first installment will be distributed shortly, and each researcher will work under the guidance of an assigned supervisor, as noted in the release.