AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication will join the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum - IGF (APrIGF) in Hong Kong on June 14-16 2010, which is being graciously, hosted by the Hong Kong.

Head of the Bangladesh Delegation is H.E. Mr. Hasanul haq Inu, MP and Chairman Parliamentary Standing Committee for Ministry of Post and Telecommunication and

Deputy Head of the delegation H.E. Dr. Akram H. Chowdhury, MP Chairperson, Centre for e-parliament Research and Member, Parliamentary Standing Committee for Ministry Food and Disaster

Other delegation members are Mr. Main Uddin Mahmood, Member - Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum and Mr. Mizanur Rahman, Private Secretary to Chairman Parliamentary Standing Committee for Ministry of Post and Telecommunication.

The Hong Kong IGF Conference aims to introduce to the various stakeholders in Hong Kong, in particular NGOs and youth, the status of internet governance and the global IGF. The APrIGF Roundtable will bring together experts in the region and around the world from the civil society, private sector and public sector for an intensive discussion that should help shape the future of the IGF. The Youth IGF Camp is organized and led by young leaders.

During the 3-day (2 nights) forum, participants will role-play to represent different stakeholders in the society and interact with international experts in the field to discuss different social topics concerning the Internet.

All 3 component events combine to become a platform for regional collaboration and, albeit organised independently of the global IGF, intends to report its discussion to the global IGF to be held in September 14-17 in Vilnius, Lithuania. This adds to the significance of the APrIGF in that the ideas, recommendations and other outputs from the event will be used as inputs for the coming global IGF meeting in September.

Montreal, April 26, 2010. The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) saluted today the approval of 12 community radio licences in Bangladesh, as one of the most important breakthroughs for community broadcasting in South Asia.

This is a first step on what should become a strong and much needed communication for development sector in Bangladesh. AMARC expressed its support to the Bangladesh NGO Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) for its constant advocacy for Community Radio. AMARC encourages the Government of Bangladesh to accelerate its response to dozens of other similar requests by civil society organisations.

The Ministry of Information, of the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh has approved 12 Community Radio Initiators to install and operate community radio in Bangladesh first time. It accepts Community Radio with the objective to provide livelihood related information to the rural communities on agriculture, education, health, disaster, women and child issues, market price, services, and other issues.

Steve Buckley, president of AMARC, applauded the constant advocacy work by the Bangladesh NGO Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) and other development actors in Bangladesh. AMARC Asia Pacific and the AMARC global network stressed their interest to continue their support to the next steps of community radio development in Bangladesh.

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication will join the IGF in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on 15-18 November 2009, which is being graciously hosted by the Government of Egypt along with 4 members head of the Bangladesh Delegation H.E. Mr. Hasanul haq Inu, MP and Chairman Parliamentary Standing Committee for Ministry of Post and Telecommunication and

Deputy Head of the delegation H.E. Dr. Akram H. Chowdhury, MP Chairperson, Centre for e-parliament Studies and Member, Parliamentary Standing Committee for Ministry Food and Disaster and Mr. M.A Haque Anu, Secretary- Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum.

The overall theme of the meeting will be Internet Governance – Creating Opportunities for All. The theme reflects the basic purpose of the IGF to develop a common understanding of how to maximize the opportunities the Internet offers for all nations and peoples, and how to address the risks and challenges, while also raising awareness of the development dimension of Internet governance.

A broad-based consultation process through the Multistakeholder Advisory Group has generated the following proposed agenda for the meeting:

• Managing critical internet resources;
• Security, openness and privacy;
• Access and diversity;
• Internet governance in light of WSIS principles;
• Emerging issues – impact of social networks; and
• Taking stock and the way forward – desirability of the continuation of the Forum.

Bangladesh Delegation hotel address is: Hotel Savoy El Sheikh, white Knight Beach, Sharam El Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt. Phone: 002 0693602500-2