Community Media in Bangladesh

Saturday, June 25, 2016

AHM Bazlur Rahman made Jury Member of Newcomer of the Year in Journalism - Hans Verploeg Awards 2016

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR, a celebrated community media policy advocate, and journalist has been selected as one of the member in the jury panel for the second time that will pick the winner of the Free Press Unlimited Newcomer of the Year in Journalism - Hans Verploeg Awards 2016, the Netherlands.

Free Press Unlimited Newcomer of the Year in Journalism - Hans Verploeg Awards 2016, the Netherlands recognizes talented new journalists who have put in a strong performance when it comes to reporting the news. Nominee demonstrates exceptional commitment to press freedom and independent coverage and use innovative methods to disseminate the information. They show extraordinary dedication to journalism as a means to hold those in power accountable and to serve as a watchdog in the public interest. They manage to share stories that would otherwise be left untold. For more information: https://www.freepressunlimited.org/en/free-press-awards-2016

Hans Verploeg died May 25, 2010. He devoted his working life to spreading and protecting free speech, nationally and internationally. He was 25 years tireless Secretary General of the Dutch Association of Journalists and was co-founder of the Foundation for Development Communication, which later went into Free Voice, which he was president until his death in 2010. As a member of the International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, Verploeg was very much concerned with the safety of journalists in threatened areas, and he did not hesitate to speak to governments when journalists work impossible and gave no space to free speech. For his work, Hans Verploeg received on 6 March 2012 posthumously awarded the Prize of the Free Word awarded by the International Press Centre Nieuwspoort. Hans Verploeg was to protect freedom of the press more than work, it was his way of life in line with Fighting injustice, convincing authorities, human honor.

Hans Verploeg Awards is widely recognized as the most prestigious award for journalists. The winner of the Free Press Unlimited Newcomer of the Year in Journalism - Hans Verploeg Awards 2016 will receive a media scholarship as well as an expenses –paid visit to Netherlands where the award will be conferred in person at the Free Press Award ceremony on the 2 November 2016. During the yearly ceremony on the International Day to End Impunity, Free Press Unlimited will also recognize exceptional work in the category Most Resilient Journalist.

The jury panel member AHM Bazlur has more than 20 years’ experience in leveraging community media/media and the right to communication to create successful policy advocacy in Bangladesh in line with community media development. He is one of the founder of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). BNNRC devoted entirely to Promote Community Media for Development (CM4D) and leads supports and advocates for the initiators to actively provide independent community broadcasting in Bangladesh.

AHM Bazlur is the first Bangladeshi community media journalist and Media Policy Advocate to sit on the jury panel for the Newcomer of the Year in Journalism - Hans Verploeg Awards 2016, the Netherlands.

Presently he is one of the founder member of Bangladesh Working Group on UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS), Community Radio Monitoring Committee, and National Broadcasting Act Drafting Committee 2016 of Ministry of Information, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, founder member of Bangladesh UN Internet Governance Forum (UN IGF), and Multi-stakeholder Steering Group Members of Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum

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Bazlu

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www.bnnrc.net

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

WSIS Award

WSIS

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication’s (BNNRC) wins UN World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Prize 2016

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication’s (BNNRC) received the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) prize 2016. The World Summit on the Information Society Forum presented the award on May 3 as part of the WSIS Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. The WSIS forum is co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD, and the UNDP with the engagement of other United Nations Agencies , including WIPO, UNDESA, FAO, ILO, ITC, UNODC, UNEP,UPU, WMO, WHO, WFP, UN Women and the UN Regional Commission.

The prestigious prize was awarded in recognition to BNNRC’s successful implementation of the project on Youth Women in Community Media and Journalism - the beginning of a new era in rural broadcasting journalism of Bangladesh supported by the Free Press Unlimited.

After an intensive Online Voting phase, which ended on March 10th 2016, BNNRC’s project was among the most voted. Upon the Expert Group’s review of the 5 top voted projects, BNNRC has been selected as the winning one. The WSIS competition was among the 311 projects submitted for the online voting. The best prizes were announced following 245,000 online voting by the WSIS members. In addition to a total of 18 WSIS prize winners, 70 runners-up projects were also recognized as WSIS Prize 2016 Champions.

AHM Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of BNNRC in his message said, we are indeed honored to have received this award. All of us at BNNRC are extremely proud that our work has been given this appreciation and recognition by the international community. BNNRC is grateful for this recognition. But BNNRC is not a winner. The real winners are 60 youth women community radio journalists those are working with 16 community radio stations in Bangladesh for ensuring voices of the voice-less in line with the poverty of voice.

BNNRC’s project, which was recognized for excellence in the implementation of the project, highlights the ‘voices of the rural people’ which essentially is the core of the rural broadcasting journalism programme, especially for the female journalists.

The youth women journalists, aged between 18 and 30, prior to joining their responsibilities in community radio broadcasting programmes and feature writing in local newspapers, were exposed to customised media training to strengthen understanding of reporting, news and script writing and editing during their fellowship programme held in three separate batches ranging from 3-6 months during 2013 and 2015. During the short-lived fellowship, the school and college graduate fellows joined as producers, anchors and reporters in 16 regional community radio stations some of which are located in remote coastal islands and in river banks. In pursuit of their fellowship programmes the youth women produced over 800 radio programmes and about 500 newspaper reports which largely focused on messages to free the society from the traditional caste system, good practices in health for women and children, end early marriages , social discrimination, violence against women, promote education, establish human rights and give more voices to the marginalized people.Using the information technology in broadcasting the empowered youth women journalists, the majority (40) of who come from Dalit families or the lowest caste in the society, demonstrated how the chemistry of creating opportunities and utilizing information technology can change the society – one of the most important criteria for nomination for the WSIS award.

The goal of WSIS is to achieve a common vision, desire, and commitment to building a people-centric, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information. The WSIS Forum 2016 represents the world's largest annual gathering of the ‘ICT for development’ community.

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Sunday, January 31, 2016

Community Radios in Coastal Bangladesh in addressing Cyclone Mahasen and Comen in line with Disaster Risk Reduction

As part of addressing the risk of Cyclone Mahasen, Six Community Radio Stations in coastal region of Bangladesh have broadcasted 514 hours program for 5 days continuously from May 11 to May16.

Seven Community Radio Stations operated in coastal region of Bangladesh are now continuously broadcasting

65 hours program to address the upcoming cyclone `komen’ in line with Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD) of Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

The stations included: Community Radio Nalta 99.2 (Satkhira), Community Radio Sundarban 99.2(Koyra, Khulna), Community Radio Lokobetar 99.2 (Barguna Sadar), Community Rural Radio Krishi Radio 98.8 (Amtali,Barguna), Community Radio Naf 99.2 (Cox’s bazar,Tekhnaf) and Radio Sagargiri 99.2 (Sitakunda, Chittagong)

A total of 391 staffs and volunteers and more than 20,000 listeners’ club members were involved constantly in disseminating disaster preparedness message and information to the local community. They updated and informed the cyclone situation at a regular frequency. They have provided information on cyclone shelter to the community according to the disaster situation continuously updated by Meteorological department and other GOB agencies. The Community Radio stations are continuously broadcasting the updates on “Mahsen” by increasing their previous air-time in line with Standing Orders on Disaster of Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Broadcasting remained continued even at power failure/load shedding, by using alternative power supply through generator. Since the stormy weather caused power disruption all over, community radio became the only source of information to the local people.

The local community people could be able to know all the details related to cyclone and how to take precautionary measures to address this. This has saved their lives and assets, and again thus proved the essential role of community radio at grassroots level in our coastal region.

The important/significant activities done by the Community Radio:

1. The community radio stations broadcasted latest weather bulletin and other govt. directives after every 15-30 minutes. The radio staffs and volunteers produced and broadcasted different types of programs in different formats (like news, magazine, talkshow, discussion etc.) regarding pre, during and post-disaster measures.

2. The directives from Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Upa Zila Nirbahi Officer(UNO), interview of experienced Red Cross officials have been broadcasted.

3. Interviews and directives regarding early preparedness measures regarding utilization of Cyclone shelter, crop harvesting and preservation by local elected representatives like UP Chairman, Mayor, Female vice chairman and members of upazila parishads, Deputy Director of Cyclone Preparedness Committee, Agriculture officer and health officer have been broadcasted.

4. Interviews [on disaster preparedness] of local journalists, trained and experienced development activists were broadcasted. people who took shelter in the center also talked on community radio so that the others feel inspired to come to the shelter.

5. Public Service Announcement (PSA) was broadcasted by quoting bulletin of National Broadcasting Authority. Analysis and views have been broadcasted basing on the news published on national and international mass media, Members of Listeners clubs sent early warning by Mobile messages for non-covered radio region.

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication 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. BNNRC has been addressing the community radio & community TV access issue for over a decade, almost since its emergence in the year 2000.

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.

BNNRC established the Community Media News Agency (CMNA), Community Media Academy (CMA) and Monthly Community Media to share development news & building capacity for the Community Media sector in Bangladesh.

We have now started advocacy with the Government of Bangladesh to open up Community Television for Development. We hope that, community television will come into being within a short time in Bangladesh. We hope that, community television will come into being within a short time.

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR| Chief Executive Officer| Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication|ceo@bnnrc.net| 01711881647

Bangladesh is going to Observe 5th World Radio Day: Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster 13 February, 2016

5th World Radio Day 2016 is going to be observed in local and national level in Bangladesh on 13 February 2016. In the mean while, all radio station like Public Service Broadcasting, Private Broadcasting and Community Broadcasting are preparing them for celebrating the day 5th time in Bangladesh. The theme for this fourth edition is Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster

In this occasion, Public Service Broadcasting, Private Broadcasting and Community Broadcasting initiators will arrange a Colorful Rally, Seminar, Cultural Program and Antic Radio Set Exhibition at local and national level. Representative from media, practitioners, civil society members, administration and delegates from different level of the society will be invited in the event. Besides, 12 Bangladesh Betar (Radio) regional stations, 14 Private FM radio stations and 16 Community Radio stations in outside Dhaka will organize colourful rally and seminar on the occasion.

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) has started advocacy process on observing the world radio day in Bangladesh on 13 February in collaboration with public service Broadcasting, Commercial broadcasting & Community Broadcasting at local and national level. As a result World Radio Day Observation National Committee was formed to observe the day locally & nationally by Ministry of Information, People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Welcome 17th Community Radio Station in Bangladesh -Community Radio Sarabela 98.8

The 17th Community Radio Sarabela 98.8 is going on-air from Gaibandha District of Northern part of Bangladesh by March 2016.

SKS Foundation is initiated community radio Sarabela 98.8. There are many perennial islands, called 'Char' in the Jamuna River. People in Char areas suffer from perennial natural disasters being deprived of basic human needs such as health, education, communication and information services.

Now the rural and marginalized community people of Gaibandha district will have direct access to discuss their own issues through Community Radio Sarabela 98.8. Having a radio at their doorsteps, now the community people will have scope to reflect on their problems and prospects in their local dialect in line with reducing voice poverty.

Presently, 16 community radio stations are on-air and they are broadcasting 125 hours programs per day. A total of nearly 1000 young youth and youth women are involved as broadcasters in those stations. Community radio stations are going to be popular in our country; it’s approximate audience number is 5.6 million.

Potentials of Community Radio in Bangladesh are 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, Scope widened for poverty reduction and sustainable development because of the rights to raise voice of the community and accessibility to knowledge and information, Scope opened for exchange of dialogue between local elected representatives, govt. and NGO professionals for the sake of establishing good governance, Direct linkage established between the community and the main sectors reflected in SDGs and 7th 5-year plan, Scope created for Social debate, inclusion and preservation of cultural diversity by ensuring the inclusion of the marginalized community and 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.

Community Radio Sarabela 98.8 is supported by Embassy of Japan and Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), an apex development organisation, was established by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) in May 1990, for sustainable poverty reduction through employment generation.

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 with the support from Free Press Unlimited.