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Bangladesh NGOs Network for<br>
Radio and Communication<br>
</b></font><font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica" size=1>Promoting
Communication Technology for a Fairer World<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
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<font face="@SimSun" size=5 color="#0000FF"><b>Community Radio in
Bangladesh So Far:<br>
</font><font size=3>Open up air waves for Community Radio <br>
to give voices to the voiceless; <br><br>
</b></font><font face="@SimSun" size=3>Advocacy for Community Radio with
the government has started in 1998 in Bangladesh. MMC applies for
permission to establish community radio to the Ministry of Information.
In 1998, AHM Bazlur Rahman -S21BR drew an advocacy plan regarding
community radio in Bangladesh entitled Policy Advocacy of Community Radio
in Bangladesh. <br><br>
Community Radio was discussed as a national issue for the first time in
1999 in the first National Mass Media Conference. The conference was
arranged by Center for Development Communication (CDC). <br><br>
Community Radio came to the center point of Bangladesh NGOs Network for
Radio and Communication (BNNRC) after it was established in 2000. BNNRC
organizes continuous advocacy activities regarding Community Radio with
the other concerned organizations.<br><br>
In 2006, BNNRC, MMC, Focus, YPSA and Voice jointly organized a Three-Day
long Round Table on Community Radio as the National Advocacy Meeting.
UNESCO, UNICEF and UNDP joined in the advocacy activities for the first
time.<br><br>
After Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the Honorable Chief Adviser of the Non-Party
Caretaker Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh, have taken the
charge .BNNRC organized a Letter Campaign regarding community radio. The
objective of the campaign was to open up the community radio as a pilot
basis. As the outcome of the campaign Office of the Chief Adviser sent an
advice to the Ministry of Information regarding pilot basis
community radio.<br><br>
For the first time in the history a high authority meeting is held at the
conference room of the Information Ministry regarding community radio on
the 23rd July in 2007 chaired by the Information Secretary and organized
by the Ministry of Information. The Director General of Bangladesh Betar
and the Principal Information Officer were present in the meeting along
with other high officials.<br>
As the invited discussants former secretary Mr. Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury,
Kamrul Hassan Manju, the Executive Director of MMC and AHM Bazlur Rahman-
S21BR, the CEO of BNNRC were also present in the meeting in favour of the
community radio advocacy group.<br><br>
After a comprehensive discussion regarding community radio as a pilot
basis the meeting takes decision to form a ministerial committee of 8
members convened by the Director General of Bangladesh Betar who would
make concept paper, regulatory framework and application form in relation
to community radio and would submit to the Ministry by one month.
According to the discussion the Ministry issues the circular regarding
the 8 members-committee on 22nd May in 2007, Memo No- 382/8.<br><br>
After a several meeting the Director General of Bangladesh Betar finalize
the draft of the concept paper, policy and application regarding
community radio. BNNRC and MMC assist the committee in this
regard.<br><br>
The Ministerial Committee officially presents the concept paper, policy
and application regarding community radio in a meeting organized by the
Ministry on 29th October in 2007. The Information Secretary chaired the
meeting. Former secretary Mr. Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury joined in the
meeting along with all of the committee members and other high
officials.<br><br>
After a comprehensive discussion on the issue the meeting decides the
submitted concept paper, policy and application forms to be sent to the
different ministries/commission i.e. Ministry of Home, Ministry of Law,
Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Local Government, Rural
Development and Cooperative, Ministry of Science and ICT and Bangladesh
Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for comments and perusal.
<br><br>
It is also decided in the meeting that another meeting would be held
after the comments are received. According to the decision all the papers
are already sent to the ministries/commission like Ministry of
Home, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative, Ministry of Science
and ICT and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for
comments on 25th November in 2007.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
</font><b>Bazlu<br><br>
<font face="Courier New, Courier" size=3 color="#800000">
--------------------<br>
</font><font face="System" size=3 color="#0000FF">AHM Bazlur
Rahman-S21BR<br>
Chief Executive Officer<br>
</font><font face="System" size=3 color="#008080">Bangladesh NGOs Network
for Radio and Communication<br>
&<br>
Member, Strategy Council<br>
UN-Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UN GAID)<br><br>
</font><font face="System" size=3 color="#800080">House: 13/1, Road:2,
Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207 <br>
Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh<br><br>
</font><font face="System" size=3 color="#0000FF">Phone: 88-02-9130750,
88-02-9138501<br>
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105<br><br>
</font><font face="System" size=3>E-mail: ceo@bnnrc.net,
bnnrc@bd.drik.net, <br>
<a href="http://www.bnnrc.net/" eudora="autourl">www.bnnrc.net<br>
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