In Dhaka, disruptions to essential public services are common occurrences. Residents may experience prolonged power outages in certain areas or encounter road closures for maintenance work. While the government typically provides advance notice of such disruptions, the information shared often lacks crucial details.
The lack of clear explanations regarding the necessity of these disruptions, the specific issues being addressed, their impacts on individuals, necessary preparations, and future expectations can lead to confusion, inconvenience, and mistrust among the public. This highlights the importance of strategic communication, which goes beyond just informing people of events to explaining the reasons behind them, their significance, potential impacts, and recommended actions.
Bangladesh has various communication institutions in place, but their operations are often fragmented, reactive, and focused more on highlighting political figures rather than the implications of policies on the general population. This press-centric approach, centered in Dhaka, lacks a comprehensive communication strategy that fosters shared understanding and public trust.
Efforts are needed to establish a more interactive relationship between the government and the public, addressing communication gaps that give rise to rumors and skepticism. Strategic communication should be aligned with policy objectives, tailored to audience needs, coordinated across all relevant entities, disseminated through appropriate channels, and evaluated for its effectiveness.
An example of ineffective communication was observed during the recent visit of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister to China. While Bangladesh’s communication highlighted the meetings and agreements signed, it lacked a distinct narrative focusing on Bangladesh’s priorities, objectives achieved, and broader foreign policy strategy. This contrasted with China’s strategic framing of the visit, leading to a misalignment in communication narratives.
To enhance strategic communication, evidence-based insights and audience considerations must guide messaging, ensuring coherence, relevance, and effectiveness. Two-way engagement, coordinated messaging, and audience-tailored delivery methods are essential for building public understanding, supporting policy implementation, combating misinformation, and fostering trust between citizens and the government.
By emphasizing transparency, timeliness, accuracy, and audience-centered communication, Bangladesh can strengthen its public communication efforts and enhance engagement with its citizens.
Apon Zahir, a research fellow at the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), shared these insights.