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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
color=#0000ff><U><FONT size=5><st1:country-region><st1:place><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Bangladesh</SPAN></B></st1:place></st1:country-region><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">: National
Regulatory Committee of Community Radio
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></FONT></U></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT
color=#ff0000>Permission for 116 <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Community Radio Stations
Advised<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">In principle
permission to install about 116 Community Radio stations has been recommended by
the National Regulatory Commission on Broadcasting. Yesterday </SPAN><st1:date
Month="7" Day="15" Year="2008"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">15 July,
2008</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> the National
Regulatory committee of Community Radio decided after reviewing the
recommendations of the technical sub-committee of Community Radio. These
recommendations will be sending shortly to the Chief Advisor and Information
Advisor of </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: '@SimSun'">Non-party
caretaker Government, People’s Republic of
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: '@SimSun'">Bangladesh</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> for final
approval.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">About 180
applications had been submitted. 56 Applications had been withheld by the
regulatory committee after the report of technical sub committee. Emphasis had
been given to establish 5 for coastal districts<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>and 3 for each district <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>according to the
importance.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">In the related
National regulatory committee of Community Radio meeting the chairperson of the
committee and information secretary Mr. Jamil Osman presided. The <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>other member of the committee Mr. Md.
Mahbubul Alam, Director General of Bangladesh Betar, Md. Abu Taher, Joint
Secretary of information ministry, Mr. Humayun Kabir Khan, Joint Secretary of
ministry of state, Mr. Anwarul Haque, Joint Secretary of ministry of Law,
Professor Deen Mohammad of BUET, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory
Commission(BTRC) director Let Col Md. Shahidul Alam and related officials were
present.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Information
secretary Mr. Jamil Osman told in the meeting that these Community Radio
Stations will focus on the grass root level population’s well being,
socio-economy and culture.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">He also said,
Government has been taken the right steps to start the Community Radio movement
successfully in the light of the laws & regulations. The related process
will be finalized soon.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana size=2><STRONG>Bazlu</STRONG></FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>_______________________<BR>AHM. Bazlur
Rahman-S21BR<BR>Chief Executive Officer<BR>Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and
Communication(BNNRC)<BR>&<BR>Member, Strategy Council<BR>UN-Global Alliance
for ICT and Development (UN GAID)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>House: 13/1, Road:2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207 <BR>Post
Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501<BR>01711881647
Fax: 88-02-9138501-105</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:ceo@bnnrc.net">ceo@bnnrc.net</A>, <A
href="mailto:bnnrc@bd.drik.net">bnnrc@bd.drik.net</A><BR><A
href="http://www.bnnrc.net">www.bnnrc.net</A></FONT></DIV>
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