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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
size=3><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Two Days Hands on Demonstration about Community
Radio in </SPAN></B><st1:country-region><st1:place><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Bangladesh</SPAN></B></st1:place></st1:country-region><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><FONT
size=3>World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
2009<U><o:p></o:p></U></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is going to celebrate World Telecommunication and
Information Society Day 2009. The A two-day national program will be inaugurated
on this grand occasion in Chittagong, Bangladesh on 17<SUP>th</SUP> May, Sunday,
2009. </SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">World Telecommunication and
Information Society Day (WTISD) is celebrated annually on 17 May since 1969 to
raise the awareness of the people regarding various aspect of ICT. The event
will be celebrated in </SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Chittagong</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> this year. The theme of this year
is <STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“Protecting children in
cyberspace”</SPAN></STRONG>. To popularize the concept, building the awareness
and to ensure youth participation, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory
Commission (BTRC) has chalked out an elaborate program for two days (17 - 18 May
‘09) to observe this event.</SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Keeping “Digital Bangladesh” and
“Vision 2021″ in view, the observance of WTISD-09 shall comprise of an ICT based
exhibition, Seminar, ICT classes and various online/offline competition at IEB,
</SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Chittagong</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">. The purpose of this event is to
encourage the citizen of </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Bangladesh</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> to contribute in building ICT
based nation. The idea is to connect the unconnected and bridge the gap between
lighted and unlighted in the field of ICT knowledge.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has chosen </SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Chittagong</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">, the Commercial Capital of the
country to host the first-time national level observance of World
Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2009. </SPAN></P>
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face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Demonstration a full-functional
Community Radio Station will take place at the program venue, Engineers
Institution Bangladesh, </SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Chittagong</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> center on the eve of World
Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2009 during the two days program.
</SPAN></P>
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face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
color=#0000ff><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">The
regulatory body for telecom affairs in the country Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has been entrusted Bangladesh NGOs Network for
Radio and Communication (BNNRC) to demonstrate a Community Radio station during
the program. It is worthy to mention here that this demonstration of community
radio station will be the first of its kind in
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Bangladesh</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region></STRONG></FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">.</SPAN></P>
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face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">We hope that participants of all
walk of the society, particularly honorable ministers, members of the
parliament, elected representatives of various tier of local government system,
academia and students, civil societies, print and electronic media, corporate
sector representatives as well as common people will come across the basic
features of Community Radioing through this program.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">It is also important to point out
here that the present ruling party Bangladesh Awami league in its election
manifesto 2008 (A Charter for Change, point 19.1) confirmed<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>the policy and programs of
establishment, broadcasting and operation of Community Radio Stations in
Bangladesh. </SPAN></P>
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face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">The process of scrutinizing and
verification of the applications received by the Ministry of Information from
the encouraged applicants are now going on in the Ministry of Home
affairs.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio
and Communication (BNNRC) acknowledges the generous support from Article 19
Bangladesh regarding successful implementation of this event.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<DIV><FONT face=Verdana size=2><BR>Bazlu<BR>_______________________<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)<BR> <BR>House: 13/1, Road:2,
Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207 <BR>Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205
Bangladesh<BR> <BR>Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501<BR>01711881647 Fax:
88-02-9138501-105<BR> <BR>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><BR></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></DIV>
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