SUPPORT FOR THE CANDIDACY OF SPANISH ACADEMY OF RADIO ARTS AND SCIENCES FOR THE PRINCE OF ASTURIAS AWARDS 2013

 

                                                                                                         Date: 25-02-2013

Mr AHM Bazlur Rahman- S21BR in the name of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) would like to support the candidacy of the Spanish Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences to the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities 2013.

The Spanish Radio Academy has been the promoter institution for the initiative for the establishment of the World Radio Day by UNESCO in 2011, a proclamation that has received the endorsement of the United Nations General Assembly last December of 2012.

It is fair to recognize to the Spanish Radio Academy the efforts to collect support among institutions and broadcasters from all five continents to achieve the objective to establish the World Radio Day as an international celebration of the United Nations. It has also to be recognized the Academy his new initiative in the creation of the International Radio Committee that join together the most important and worldwide broadcasting organizations and telecommunications, between which ours is located, and whose purpose is to keep alive this celebration through various activities for the benefit of broadcasters and radio listeners around the world.

For these reasons Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)   asks the jury please consider granting the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities 2013 to the Spanish Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences to understand that the establishment of the World Radio Day has contributed to recover the social prestige of the radio around the world joining professionals and listeners of different continents around this common cause.

Yours faithfully,

AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR

Chief Executive Officer

Using Community radio To Fight Poverty in Bangladesh

Strengthening Human Rights and Public Voices through Community Radio in Bangladesh

Strengthening Human Rights and Public Voices through Community Radio in Bangladesh

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR| CEO|

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication|

ceo@bnnrc.net| 01711881647

Community media are widely recognized by governments, international development agencies, and civil society organizations alike as key agents of participatory development. Their reach and practices are a unique way of reaching and involving people. This is particularly true of community radio, the most prevalent of all community media, which is a vital alternative both to state owned and commercial private radio. Community radio‘s affordability and reach make it a powerful agent of social change.

Recognition of community radio as a legitimate and key element in development efforts and the potential to empower marginalized and disenfranchised communities, has pushed a number of countries to introduce laws and regulations that acknowledge community radios as a distinct media sector. In those countries an enabling environment for community radios has been created.

Despite these advances, challenges persist at global and regional level and in their joint 2010 statement the four international special UN mandated rapporteurs on freedom of  expression (*) expressed their concerns at the lack of specific legal recognition of the community broadcasting sector in licensing systems which are based on criteria that are appropriate to this sector as well as the failure to reserve adequate frequencies for community broadcasters or to establish appropriate funding support mechanism .

The Ministry of Information Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh has declared Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy 2008, which was the citizens’ expectation since the year 1998. In line with citizens’ expectation Bangladesh Awami League, the present ruling party incorporated in Article of “Charter of Change” that was their election manifesto. Accordingly in April, 2010, Ministry of Information has approved 14 Community Radio Stations to operate for the first time in the country.

After the approval of license Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has allocated frequency and then the Community Radio stations started broadcasting from 2011. Presently, 4 community radio stations already passed 1 year and the others will soon pass their 1st year very soon.

Presently these stations are broadcasting a total of 109 hours programs in a day on information, education, local edutainment and other development motivational activities that are going at local level.

These programs are quite supportive to the activities reflected in 6th 5-year plan of Government of Bangladesh, UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan, and UN Millennium Development Goals (UN MDGs) and UN Convention Against Corruption (UN CAC)

The success of the 1st batch of Community Radio stations has earned appreciation from all levels because of their commendable success. For that we give our thanks to those initiating organizations.

We are also giving thanks to the Ministry of Information that it is because of their good intention and sincere efforts which made possible a full-fledged community radio policy, the only one in South East Asia. India has got only a Guideline to operate Community Radio stations, while Nepal does not have any of this kind. In 2012 Ministry of Information has declared National Strategy for Community Radio to support implementation of Community Radio Installation, broadcast and Operation Policy.

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication is promoting the advocacy with the government in relations to community radio with other organizations since its emergence from 2000. BNNRC has been addressing the community radio and community TV access issue for over a decade, helping to bridge the information gap of rural Bangladesh.

 The reality of today is that the bondage between the community people and local-level community radio stations are getting strengthened day-by-day. Community Radio has now become their part of life. Community Radio becomes the instrument for the livelihood battle of the rural people.

In this context the present status of community radio stations regarding social, economic and institutional sustainability can be pointed as below:

Social Sustainability:

i.          Management Committee formed at 14 Community Radio station level

ii.         Advisory Committee formed for each station that included UNO and Additional District Commissioner

iii.        2115 Listeners Clubs formed at CR Station level

iv.        The present number of CR listeners is around 46,47,000

v.         People of 67 Upazila under 13 districts now listen Community Radio Programs

Sustainability at Govt. level:

i.          Ministry of Information declared Community Radio Installation, broadcast and operation Policy 2008.

ii.         Ministry of Information prepared and declared Community Radio Strategy 2012

iii.        Digital Bangladesh Strategy Paper-prepared by the Prime Minister’s Office

iv.        Charter of Chang 2008

Institutional Sustainability

i.          Presently 14 community radio stations are broadcasting different stations

ii.         Every day all the stations are broadcasting a total of 109 hours program

iii.        Code of Conduct for Community Radio formulated

iv.        Gender Policy for Community Radio prepared and published

iv.        Human Resource Development Policy formulation for Community Radio Stations (in process)

v.         Financial Management Policy formulation (in process)

Economic Sustainability

i.          Non-Profitable business model (under process)

ii.         Funding of development partners

iii.        Facilitation of Initiating organization

iv.        Formulation and Implementation of Development Advertisement Policy

v.         Sharing allocation of local and national budget/s.

vi.        Community Radio Development Fund creation and operation.

Potentials of Community Radio in Bangladesh

a.         Community Radio has created scope for the poor and marginalized community to raise their own voice; it becomes the voice for the voiceless. This neo-media outlets opened scope to establish their rights of Information and communication in social, political, cultural and environmental arena.

b.         Scope widened for poverty reduction and sustainable development because of the rights to raise voice of the community and accessibility to knowledge and information.

c.         Scope opened for exchange of dialogue between local elected representatives, govt. and NGO professionals for the sake of establishing good governance. 

d.         Direct linkage established between the community and the main sectors reflected in MDGs and 6th 5-year plan.

e.         Scope created for Social debate, inclusion and preservation of cultural diversity by ensuring the inclusion of the marginalized community.

f.          Community Radio is now able to play more active role in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) due to establishment of effective linkage between the govt.departments and local/rural community.

Already the Community radio programs have been widely accepted among the local community.14 community radio stations presently covers more than 4.6 million listeners. This journey was not a bed of roses, we are to cross ups and downs-everyday we are to face newer challenges.  

The Community Radios are becoming an active ground for organizing dialogues at rural level. These dialogues will help the rural mass to find out their own voice and ensure leverage their free opinion in respect of social, economic, political ,cultural and environmental issues

----------------------------------------------

(* the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, .the Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression for the Organisation of American States, and the Special Rapporteur of Freedom of Expression and the Access to Information for the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights)

Agriculture on the Air in Bangladesh

Agriculture on the Air

By Naimul Haql

Radio Mahananda, a local station, helps farming communities in Bangladesh to share research and best practices on crop production. Credit: Naimul Haq/IPS

CHAPAINAWABGANJ, Bangladesh, Feb 21 2013 (IPS) - The sun is just beginning its descent as a knot of farmers gathers around a small, portable radio in the grounds of the Nachol Pilot High School in Bangladesh’s northwestern Chapainawabganj district, about 300 kilometres from the capital, Dhaka.

The voices of Kauser Ali and Dhiren Karmakaur — two farmers from Nachol who are sitting in a studio about 15 kilometres away from the crowd of eager listeners – come in clearly on the airwaves, welcoming their remote audience to ‘Krishi O Jibon’ (Agriculture and Life), a daily programme on Radio Mahananda.

The anchor begins by playing a popular song known as Gambhira, a blend of folk music performed in the native dialect by local artistes, before launching the farmers into a discussion about a common problem among this community of roughly 5,000 agriculturalists: pest attacks on maize crops.

I had a pest attack in my mustard field two years ago. Last season I avoided that by seeking advice in advance from experts who discuss these problems live on the air.” - Habibur Rahman, a local farmer in Bangladesh.

“The feeling here is absolutely electric,” says the anchor, Selim Kabir, a local farmer who uses this radio show to promote crop production in Chapainawabganj.

“Gambhira enlightens farmers about various aspects of agriculture,” Kabir told IPS, “so, we chose to use it throughout our programme, which delivers important messages and hosts live discussions on best practices to solve farm-related problems.”

Radio Mahananda, launched last April, has today become an indispensable communication tool in an almost entirely agriculture-dependent region, where illiteracy rates are as high as 50 percent.

The long fingers of development have not yet reached this part of the country, hundreds of miles from Bangladesh’s bustling industrial centres, where there is little infrastructure and few plans to build any.

Chapainawabganj lies partially within the 7,780-square-kilometre Barind region, an arid expanse of land located in northwestern Bangladesh. Here, extreme weather brought on by climate change has made crop production a huge challenge.

Characterised by an exceptionally high population density, Barind is also forced to contend with severe drought in the summer months, inadequate rainfall during the monsoon season, excessive withdrawal and depletion of groundwater, gradual loss in soil moisture and progressive deforestation.

In a bid to confront these challenges, the government set up the Agriculture Information Service (AIS), which resulted in the establishment of over 1,000 farmers’ clubs – each with between 30 and 50 members — in all 64 districts, to facilitate regular exchanges of information about boosting crop production and adapting traditional growing and planting cycles to a changing climate.

A group of farmers in northwestern Bangladesh tune into ‘Agriculture and Life’, a radio show on farming. Credit: Naimul Haq/IPS

Now, with the help of Radio Mahananda, the government initiative is having an even greater impact.

The rural community station reaches a 17-kilometre radius and helps farmers share their own crop research with listeners and even invites farmers to participate in studio discussions on capacity development, cultivating improved varieties of seeds, promoting use of organic fertilisers, using less water for irrigation and improving yields.

Ahmed Moin, producer of the 30-minute-long Krishi O Jibon show, told IPS, “Over 60 percent of our programmes are focused on developing agriculture. We use the benefits of radio transmission to build awareness and overcome crop production crises.”

Earlier this year, in response to massive popular demand, Radio Mahananda introduced another special programme – ‘a masher krishi’, meaning ‘agriculture this month’, which focuses on cultivating seasonal crops.

“We have seven hours of daily programmes,” Hasib Hossain, chief executive officer of Radio Mahananda, told IPS, “and since Chapainawabganj is an important agricultural zone we design our programmes to maximise benefits to local farmers.”

Radio shows typically begin after three p.m. to enable farmers to gather together at the end of the workday and tune in live. The programmes are interspersed with useful tips on how to avoid pest attacks or use drought-resistant seeds.

Related IPS Articles

• Traditional Farming Holds All the Aces
• Forests, Fruit and Fish Could Save Coastal Communities
• Bangladesh Braves Climate Change With Community Radio
• Food and Agriculture – Inter Press Service

Television is a rare luxury in this part of the country, and a high illiteracy rate among farmers makes it almost impossible to disseminate agriculture-related news and information in print – the radio shows offer an excellent alternative to farming communities, who can even tune in using their cell phones.

Habibur Rahman, a local farmer and regular listener from Delbari village, told IPS, “We certainly benefit from listening to the radio programmes. For instance, I had a pest attack in my mustard field two years ago. Last season I avoided that by seeking advice in advance from experts who discuss these problems live (on the air).”

Farmers are encouraged to participate and send queries directly to the radio office through phone calls or text messages.

There has been “huge enthusiasm among the farmers. Requests for advice keep pouring in and many have reported better grain harvests” after the radio prgrammes came into existence, according to Moin.

Mohammad Mosharaf Hossain, senior scientific officer of a local mango research institute, told IPS, “We… teamed up with Radio Mahananda recently to disseminate information on our research and received an unbelievable response.”

In 2013 alone the institute has developed four new varieties of sweet mango, popularised among the local farmers through radio programmes. Such information is crucial in Chapainawabganj, home to over 90 percent of Bangaldesh’s mango production, with hundreds of square kilometres dedicated to growing and harvesting the fruit.

“We participated in regular live discussions to inform and encourage mango farmers to use the new varieties of mango seeds known as BARI-6, 7, 8 and 9,” Hossain told IPS.

According to Enayet Khan, a local farmer, “Mahananda has united the local farmers and has played a huge role in contributing to boosting regional crop production.”

(END)

World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, 2013

World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, 2013

The International Amateur Radio Union was founded 88 years ago in 2013 and to mark its anniversary it has chosen emergency communications as the theme.

The next World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, the theme is, 'Amateur Radio: Entering Its Second Century of Disaster Communications'.

This further draws attention to the various roles played by radio amateurs throughout the world in providing communications at times of disaster.

A number of special event stations will be announced before April when more than 160 IARU member societies join in the celebration.

Bazlu

AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR | Chief Executive Officer |
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)
[NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council]

House: 13/1, Road: 2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207  Bangladesh
Phone: +88-02-9130750 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            +88-02-9130750      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, 9101479 | Cell: +88 01711881647
Fax: 88-02-9138501 | E-mail: ceo@bnnrc.net | bnnrcbd@gmail.com| 

www.bnnrc.net

Brief Resume of AHM Bazlur Rahman- S21BR

Brief Resume of AHM Bazlur Rahman- S21BR

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR is Chief Executive Officer and founder Secretary of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). BNNRC is in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) of the United Nations.

AHM Bazlur Rahman has more than 20 years experience in leveraging media and communication to create successful policy advocacy in Bangladesh in line with rural development.

Concerned with millions of people still deprived of basic needs and the benefits of Information and Communication Technology in Bangladesh, 2000 he founded Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) as a national networking body working for building a democratic society based on the principles of free flow of information, equitable & affordable access to Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) of remote & marginalized population. BNNRC is registered with NGO Affairs Bureau and Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Bangladesh and established in 2000 as per Article 19 charter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

From 1998 - 2010, he headed an advocacy group on behalf of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) that pioneered the introduction of community radio in Bangladesh.

BNNRC has been undertaking pioneer approaches to integrate ICT and Community Media for Development, Knowledge Management, policy advocacy for good governance, people's right in country and global commons and poverty alleviation at the grassroots through its networking NGO/CSOs in Bangladesh.

BNNRC's outreach extends to local, national and international forums for communicating Knowledge for Development (KM4D). In this backdrop, communication is recognized as an essential human need and, therefore, as a basic human right. Our working strategies are:

1.    Communicating on the Public Sphere: The role of communication and media in exercising democratic political participation in society

2.        Communicating Knowledge: The terms and means by which knowledge generated by society is communicated, or blocked, for use by different groups.

3.   Civil Rights in Communication: The exercise of civil rights relating to the processes of communication in society &

4.        Cultural Rights in Communication: The communication of diverse cultures, cultural forms and identities at the individual and social levels.

BNNRC now strives for the following core interventions to contribute in achieving 6^th five Years Plan, UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through:

Right to Information for ensuring improved livelihood of the marginalized

ICT for Development for Bridging the Digital Divide in rural areas &

Community Radio/Community TV for amplifying voices for the voiceless

Amateur Radio for Disaster Risk Reduction

Community Film for Social Transformation

He graduated from University of Dhaka and Post graduated from Asian University of Bangladesh in the field of Social Science (MSS) in Government & Politics.

He has worked extensively in Bangladesh and South Asia on variety of action research projects in  Development Communication, mostly focused on ICT for  Development(ICT4D), Rural Journalism, e-Parliament, Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) Community Broadcasting, Good Governance, Micro-Macro Level advocacy, Institution Building, Social Mobilization, Democracy Education, Transformation Process of International NGO to local NGO, Resource Mobilization, Communication for Development(C4D), Knowledge Management for Development (KM4D) with Bangladesh Development Society(BDS), Action Aid-Bangladesh and The Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust(Coast Trust)

He has published several articles on Community Radio and co-author of Handbook on Community Radio for Good Governance and Development, Handbook on Airwaves Advocacy in Bangladesh and Policy Advocacy Plan for Community Radio in Bangladesh.

He currently member of Bangladesh Working Group on UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) headed by Bangladesh Government, Community Radio Monitoring Committee of Ministry of Information, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, founder member of Bangladesh UN Internet Governance Forum-headed by Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee   for Ministry of Post and Telecommunication and Research Fellow, Center for e-Parliament Research. Contact: ceo@bnnrc.net  www.bnnrc.net

Brief Profile Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication

Brief Profile

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication

BNNRC is in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council & Accredited with

UN World Summit on Information Society

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) is a national networking body working for building a democratic society based on the principles of free flow of information, equitable & affordable access to Information & Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) of remote & marginalized population BNNRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council from 2010 & Accredited with UN World Summit on Information Society (UN WSIS)

BNNRC is registered with NGO Affairs Bureau, Office of the Prime Minister’s, & Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Bangladesh according to the foreign donation (Voluntary Activities) regulation ordinance 1978 as a network and established in 2000 as per Article 19 Charter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of United Nations.

BNNRC has been struggling for the last 14 years to open up the community media (including Community Radio, Community Television) and giving focus on its vital role as voices of the voiceless rural people. The reality of today is that the bondage between the community people and local-level community radio stations are getting strengthened day-by-day. Community Radio has now become their part of life and livelihood.

BNNRC established the Community Media News Agency (CMNA) & Community Media Academy (CMA) to share development news & building capacity among the community radio stations. 

BNNRC is governed by independent board of trust comprising of nine trustees from the eminent rural development practitioners in Bangladesh. The Chairperson of the board of trust is Mr. Rafiqul Alam, Executive Director of DUS, Vice Chairpersons are Mr. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury-S21K, Executive Director of COAST Trust, Mr. Zahurul Haque Bali, Executive Director of  BRIDGE, Treasure of Mr. Md. Arifur Rahman- S21AV, Chief Executive of YPSA, Trustees are: Mr. Mirza Shahidul Islam Khaled, Executive Director of SANGKALPA Trust, Mr. S M Nazer Hossain, Executive Director of ISDE Bangladesh, Mr. AHM Shamsul Islam- S21AQ, Team Manager of SPEED Trust, Mr. Ziaul Ahsan, Executive Director of PGUS and AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR of  Chief Executive Officer and Secretary.

BNNRC believes that Communication is not a privilege but basic human rights

Vision BNNRC do like to see the rural people has the easy, quick and low cost access to global communication so that they are enriched and updated by knowledge.

Mission BNNRC will organize strategically important activities, studies, advocacies so that the population of the rural areas will have easy, manageable and low cost

communication facilities.

The working strategies of BNNRC are:

Communicating on the Public Sphere: The role of communication and media in exercising democratic participation in society

Communicating Knowledge: The terms and means by which knowledge generated by society is communicated, or blocked, for use by different groups

Civil Rights in Communication: The exercise of civil rights relating to the processes of communication in society &

Cultural Rights in Communication: The communication of diverse cultures, cultural forms and identities at the individual and social levels.

BNNRC now strives for BNNRC now strives for the following core interventions to contribute in achieving 6th five Years Plan of Bangladesh, UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan and UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through:

Community Radio/Community TV for amplifying voices for the voiceless

Right to Information for ensuring improved livelihood of the marginalized

ICT for Development for Bridging the Digital Divide in rural areas &

Amateur Radio for Disaster Risk Reduction

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) has partnerships with 150 organizations in Bangladesh through;

Capacity Building,

Research & Development and

Technical Cooperation

BNNRC offers a huge number of capacity building activities annually to its partners member in all areas related to community radio and community television covering programming, news, media management, new technologies and media law.

Pioneered the introduction of Community Radio in Bangladesh

At the moment, positive and supportive condition is prevailing in Bangladesh. Because; Bangladesh Government has already acknowledged the importance of community radio and announced the Community Radio Installation, Broadcast & Operation Policy 2008 Community radio strategy 2011. Bangladesh is the 2nd country in South Asia in formulating policy for Community Radio.

Meanwhile, for the first time, govt. has approved and provided license to 14 initiators to install Community Radio throughout the country. Till today 14 Community Radio stations has already started community broadcasting.

It is really amazing that toady 14 community radios are broadcasting 100 hours program in a day! BNNRC is proud to feel that community radio is taking place as an essential mass media within the lives of the rural people.

Now 536 young boy and girls are working as rural broadcasters in 14 community radio stations. A total of 125 (98 male and 27 female) are now involved in community radio station management committees from the rural community and trying to achieve the ownership at the local level.

The government officials and civil society at upazila/district level have joined in CR station Advisory Committee and started motivating the mass people to take part in local development and entertainment by using community radio as a platform for mutual learning. In this way, these officials are taking a great role to build a knowledge-based society at rural Bangladesh.

The reality of today is that the bondage between the community people and local-level radio stations are getting strengthened day-by-day. Community Radio has now become their part of life. Community Radio becomes the instrument for the livelihood battle of the rural people. We have now started advocacy with the government of Bangladesh on community television. We hope that community television will come into being within a short time.

BNNRC is in Government, UN Committees & International

BNNRC is a founder member of Bangladesh Working Group on UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) headed by Bangladesh Government.

Member of Community Radio Related Central Monitoring Committee, Ministry of Information

Founder member of Bangladesh UN Internet Governance Forum headed by Bangladesh Government

Founder Member, World Radio Day National Observation Committee, Ministry of Information

Founder Member of World Radio Day International Committee

Member, Community Radio Policy Drafting Committee of Ministry of Information

(2008-2009)

International Affiliate Membership

The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC)

World Association for Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)

Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education

Community Media Forum, Europe

Asia and Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)

Asia and Pacific Institute of Broadcasting Development (AIBD)

Publications — Major

Policy Advocacy Plan for Community Radio in Bangladesh 1998

Handbook on Airwaves 2005

Community Radio Handbook 1st and 2nd Edition 2008

Community Radio Monitoring Handbook 2010

Need Assessment of Community Radio 2011

Need Assessment for Community Radio

Community Radio in Bangladesh: Achievement and Challenge- Recent Experience 2012

Community Radio Baseline Survey 2008, Community Radio Directory, Guide book of Community Radio in Disaster Risk Reduction 2012, Community Radio & Atlas, and Community Media Bi-monthly News Letter

BNNRC is supported by contributions from different development organization worldwide who share a commitment in building a free, independent and pluralistic community media of voices for the voiceless. Currently BNNRC supported by Free Press Unlimited, UNESCO, UNICEF Bangladesh, Plan Bangladesh & American Center.

World Radio Day

Opinion Sharing Meeting on Community Radio in Bangladesh

“The Ministry will form a Review Committee soon which will check the constraints, challenges and way forward of current Community Radio stations of the country and take up some measures to facilitate them for smooth running.”This was told by Mr.Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, ndc, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Information & Chairperson, Community Radio Related National Regulatory Committee while speaking in an opinion sharing meeting with representatives from 14 community radio stations of the country on February 10, 2013 at PIB Auditorium in Dhaka.

The Meeting was organized by Ministry of Information, of Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh with support from Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) & Free Press Unlimited.

Mr. Md.Monzur Rahman, Joint Secretary (Broadcast) & Member Secretary, Community Radio Related National Regulatory Committee welcomed the participants. The Chief Executive Officer of BNNRC Mr.AHM Bazlur Rahman presented the challenges and way forward of Community Radio stations in Bangladesh. He mentioned that although community radio has achieved a lot, yet it has to address some challenges.

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) has been struggling for the last 12 years to open up the community media (including Community Radio, Community Television and Community film) and giving focus on its vital role as voices of the voiceless people. Now 14 Community Radio Stations are on-air in the country, aiming to ensure empowerment and right to information for the rural community. They are broadcasting altogether 120 hours program per day on information, education, local entertainment and development motivation activities. Around 536 Youth Women & Youth are now working with those Stations throughout the country as rural broadcasters. Now the number of community radio listeners stands around 5 millions.  

In response to those points Mr.Dulal C.Biswas, Director General of Bangladesh Press Institute (PIB) proposed for a comprehensive research on the achievements and insights of community radio sector of the country, in which PIB can take the leading role. Mr.Kazi Akhtaruddin Ahmed, Director General, Bangladesh Betar and Chairperson of Community Radio Related Central Monitoring Committee appreciated BNNRC and thanked the participants.

The findings of this consultation, particularly the challenges identified, will be considered with seriousness to review in technical committee. This committee will suggest recommendations so that we will be able to put up those to the Ministry. Each of the CR representatives shared some of their opinion and concerns briefly-those have already been reported in earlier presentation of BNNRC.

In concluding remarks Mr.Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, ndc, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Information & Chairperson, and Community Radio Related National Regulatory Committee summarized the concerns of all and assured them to provide all sorts of cooperation to the community radio initiators.

The meeting was moderated by Reba Rani Shaha, Joint Secretary(Radio), Ministry of Information.

Bazlu

_______________________

AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)
[NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council]
&
Head, Community Media Academy

House: 13/1, Road: 2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207  Bangladesh
Phone:             +88-02-9130750      ,             +88-02-9138501      , Cell: +88 01711881647
Fax: 88-02-9138501-105, 

E-mail: ceo@bnnrc.net, bnnrcbd@gmail.com  www.bnnrc.net