Community Media Representatives Met New Information Minister, Bangladesh

A high-level delegation of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) met Hon’ble Minister HE. Dr. Hasan Mahmud, who took the charge of the Ministry of Information, People’s Republic of Bangladesh today at 12.30 PM at Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The delegation leads by Mr. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury-S21K, Chairperson of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication and Executive Director of The COAST Trust.

They welcomed the Hon’ble Minister with a bouquet of flower and a crest. Mr. Abdul Malek Hon’ble Secretary, the Ministry of Information, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh was present at that time.

The delegation team updated the Honorable Minister about the status 18 community radio stations of the country, and the campaign to make the on 11th Parliament Election 2018 as free, fair, participatory and accountable. They added that all 18 Community Radios had been broadcasting 1152 hours programs from December 27 till December 30 continuously.

Songs on liberation war enriched with non-communal empathy and emotion, patriotic songs, instructions and announcements of Election Commission, jingle, PSA, audio clips, Speech of March 7, 1971; drama based on Liberation War, the role of voters and civil society, law and enforcement authority and interview of freedom fighters were broadcasted. Besides, radio talk show and community dialogue organized with the participation of local professionals and select government officials.

A total of 100 community Radio reporters were engaged for collecting election-related information continuously. They also captured interviews and voxpop of police officers election candidates and voters, statistics of male & female voters and number of the booth, the situation of local constituency units and live to broadcast of the general election results from the Returning Officer.

Dr. Mahmud, Honorable Minister welcomed the delegation of Community Media and assured his cooperation for the further development of Community Radios in Bangladesh.

Mr. AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR, Chief Executive Officer, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) and Mr. Mustafa Kamal Akanda, Assistant Director of Coast Trust accompanied with the high-level delegation team.

Published
Categorized as News

By bnnrc

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR is Chief Executive Officer and founder Secretary of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). He has more than 20 years experience in leveraging community media and right to communication to create successful policy advocacy in Bangladesh in line with community media development. His areas of expertise straddle community media policy advocacy, training, project management especially in the area of community media. He founded Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). BNNRC Devoted Entirely to Promote Community Media for Development (CM4D). BNNRC Leads Supports and Advocates for the Initiators to actively provide independent community broadcasting in Bangladesh since 2000. BNNRC represent the community electronic media sector to Government, Industry, Regulatory Bodies, Media, Academia and Development Partners from 2000. The BNNRC provides leadership and support for rural initiators to facilitate independent electronic community broadcasting services and to build and strengthen rural communities. He actively works to improve recognition of the community electronic media sector [Community Radio | Community TV | Community Film] & its work in and involvement with the communities it seeks to serve. 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 6th five Years Plan, UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through: Right to Information- RTI for ensuring improved livelihood of the marginalized ICT for Development- ICT4D for Bridging the Digital Divide in rural areas & Community Radio/Community TV/ Community Film for amplifying voices for the voiceless and Amateur Radio for Disaster Risk Reduction He graduated from University of Dhaka and Post graduated from Asian University of Bangladesh in the field of Social Science (MSS) in Government & Politics and Participated in certificate course on Development Management by Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) New Delhi, India He currently founder 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( UN IGF) Headed by Minister, Ministry of Information, Multi-stakeholder Steering Group Members of Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (AP-RIGF) & Distinguish Fellow, Center for e-Parliament Research. Contact: ceo@bnnrc.net www.bnnrc.net