Five Community Radio Stations in Bangladesh have received 10 awards in radio category in UNICEF 15th Meena Media Award-2019 for their outstanding contribution to innovation in media and protection of child rights in the year 2019. This is the highest number of awards received by one single category in the media competition. As in every year, UNICEF Bangladesh has organized this competition
The winners received a crest, certificate and cheque of taka 50,000 (around 650 US $) for 1st prize, taka 25,000 (around 350 US $) for the 2nd and taka 15,000 (200 US $) for 3rd position respectively. The total prize value added to 4,250 US $.
The winning stations are :
Community Radio Meghna 99.0FM,
Community Rural Radio Krishi 98.8FM,
Community Radio Sarabela 98.8FM.
Community Radio Jhenuk 99.2 and
Community Radio Pollikontha 99.2FM
Earlier, 16 Community Radio Stations of the country participated and submitted altogether 85 radio programs in the competition under two categories –below and above 18 years of age. These programs reflected important issues like- – Necessity of breast-feeding for infant, Sexual harassment of Children, Junk food in Tiffin Box, Involving madrasa students to collect subscription, Unsafe School, Insufficient Contents for child in the Electronic Media, Extinct rural and traditional games for children, killing of embryo, Child’s drug addiction, Involving children for fishing in Deep Sea, Climate Change causes health hazard of Children etc.
Out of these 85 programs, 17 programs from 7 Community Radio Stations had got primary selection for final stage of the selection process.
It can be mentioned that Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) has been encouraging the stations and facilitating them for submission of their programs in the Meena Media Award.
BNNRC 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 from 2000.
The final awardees are as follows:
Radio-Creative category (Under 18 years): 1st prize: Md. Shajadul Islam from Community Radio Jhenuk 99.2 Drama, Theme: Involving madrasa students to collect subscription, 2nd Prize: Rubayat Yousuf Oroni from Community Radio Pollikontha 99.2, Drama Theme: Children are addicting in Smart Phone and 3rd Prize: Nasrin Jahan Rimi from Community Radio Jhenuk 99.2 Drama, Child Education.
Radio-creative category (Over 18 years): 1st prize: Pial Ahmed from Community Radio Jhenuk 99.2 Magazine, Theme: Child Rape. 2nd Prize: Sutapa Rani Paul from Community Radio Pollikontha 99.2, Magazine Theme: Child Beggars, 3rd Prize: Md. Mehedi Hasan Sajib from, Community Radio Krishi 98.8FM Drama Theme: Domestic Violence.
Radio-Report category (Under 18 years): 1st prize: Sejuty Hasan Adity from Community Radio Sarabela 98.8FM. Theme: Insufficient Contents for child in the Electronic Media, 2nd Prize: Gobindo Deb Mitra from Community Radio Pollikontha 99.2FM, Theme: Abandoned Infant and 3rd Prize: Zarin Tasnem Bipa from Community Radio Pollikontha 99.2FM Theme: Children have to go Madrasha just fulfil their Parent’s wish.
Radio-Report category (Over 18 years) 1st prize: Konika Rani from Community Radio Meghna 99.0FM Theme: killing of girl embryo in Charfasion. The contestants from Radio Today and BBC Bangla received the 2nd and 3rd prize respectively in this category.
Mr. Tommo Hozumi representative of UNICEF Bangladesh, UNICEF Bangladesh Goodwill Ambassadors Actress, Ms. Arifa Zaman Moushumi , Magician Mr. Jewel Aich and cricket superstar Mr. Shakib Al Hassan and renowned novelist Ms. Selina Hossain presented crest, certificate and award money to the winners in the ceremony held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on October 27, 2019.
The winners received taka 50,000 (around 650 US $) for 1st prize, taka 25,000 (around 350 US $) for the 2nd and taka 15,000 (200 US $) for 3rd position.
A 12 Members expert panel of judges comprising of creative writers, veteran media professionals both from print and broadcast Media, Photographers and academics assessed each entry through a strict marking process where the names of the participants were replaced by a specific code number.
The Meena Media Award was introduced by UNICEF in 2005 to celebrate excellence in both print media and electronic media and to promote child rights and greater coverage of children’s issues in the media. The award is named after Meena, a popular animation character held dear by children and adults alike in Bangladesh.
Meena is a change agent in her community and her stories champion the rights of children across South Asia.
Now 18 Community Radio Stations are on-air in the country, aiming to ensure empowerment and right to information for the rural community. They are broadcasting altogether 138 hours program per day on information, education, local entertainment and development motivation activities.
Around 1000 Youth Women & Youth are now working with those stations throughout the country as rural broadcasters within 6.6 million rural people in 121 upazilas under 16 districts in Bangladesh.