Bangladesh consultation on AMARC 10 World Conference of Community Radio Broadcasters
Bangladesh consultation on AMARC 10 World Conference of Community Radio Broadcasters was taken place at LGED meeting room, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The focus of the consultation is recovering Memory Building the Future: Community Radio and Poverty Reduction, Social Inclusion, Good Governance and Sustainable Human Development in Bangladesh context.
The consultation was organized by Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) with the support from UNICEF Bangladesh through Empowering Communities: Strengthening and Building Capacity of the Community Radio in Bangladesh project.
Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Education was present as the Chief Guest and Dr. Akram H. Chowdhury, Hon’ble MP and Chairperson, Center for e-parliament Research has moderated the consultation, presided by Md. Rafiqul Alam, Chairperson, BNNRC and Executive Director, DUS.
Shameem Reza, Associate Professor, Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka has presented the keynote paper. Ms. Patricia Portela De Souza, Communication for Development Specialist, UNICEF shared UNICEF perspective on Community Radio. Shahab Enam Khan, Associate Professor, International Relations, Jahangir Nagar University; Ms. Anna Minj, Director, Social Development, BRAC; Syed Tamjidur Rahman, CEO, Change Maker; Faruque Faisal, Expert on Community Radio, Lt. Col. Tusar Bin Siddiqui, Director, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission(BTRC); Ashutosh Dey, Expert on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction and Abu Sayeed Khan, Secretary General, Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh(AMTOB) took part on the discussion as the designated guest.
In the keynote discussion Shameem Reza has a made details on the development of Community Radio in Bangladesh, media system, progress of CR, government policy, response from initiators, challenges and way-forward, preparedness of Key actors and scopes for action.
He gave special focused on capacity building, technical cooperation, research and development, policy and enabling environment, cross-cutting issues, and campaign and advocacy for the sustentation of CR in Bangladesh. Community radio, the platform for the voiceless needs support from national and internationally.
In the speech Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury expressed his gratitude to be a part of this process to mobilize Community Radio campaign in Bangladesh. He gave his commitment that he would continue his support to popularize this movement Community radio for the greater interest of the voiceless as the voice of the voiceless.
UNICEF representative Patricia Portela De Souza expressed her special gratitude to Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Hon’ble Secretary, MOI that he played a vital role and positive willingness to launch this program as well as gave permission to 14 CR initiators. She added that UNICEF concern is children and women’s right and CR can play very strong role to raise this issue widely to building Community awareness.
Lt. Col. Tusar Bin Siddiqui, Director, BTRC told, “Government is very positive on Community Radio activity and has given permission to 14 initiators as a part of building digital Bangladesh”. He added that as it is a new intervention so we do not have much experience on it. As a part of GoB he attended in the meeting to here the actual situation for solving the problems in time.
In the open discussion the participants expressed their views to CR. They added that this is time for take direct action, can seek support from Bangladesh University for Engeering Technology(BUET) and other universities for manufacturing transmitter and antenna locally, and government can provide trust fund for establishing CR stations.
The global conference will be under the sign of recovering memories and sharing knowledge and accumulated experiences of the Latin American community radio movement with Africa, Asia pacific, Europe and North America and, at the same time to define how can AMARC and the community radio global movement present in more than 120 countries increase the effectiveness of its interventions.
The overall theme of the Bangladesh Consultation was the progress of community radio in Bangladesh and, the challenges and opportunities to establish it as well. Lots of initiatives are under processing, hopes are there as 14 Community Radio Stations are going on air from December 2010.
The outputs of Bangladesh Consultation will be shared with the global communities in AMARC 10: World Conference of Community Radio Broadcasters 8-13 November at La Plata, Argentina 2010.
Distinguished Member of Parliament (MP), Policy-Makers and Representatives from Government, Media, Academia, CSOs, and Corporate Sector were attended in the Bangladesh Consultation meeting.
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 Radio Academy
House: 13/1, Road: 2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207
Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh
Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501
Cell: 01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105
E-mail: ceo@bnnrc.net www.bnnrc.net