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.