A national policy strategy for the implementation of community radio installation, broadcast and operation was launched on Wednesday.
The Government of Bangladesh, with technical support from UNICEF, hope that their vision for the growth of community radio will be a tool that contributes to the government’s development agenda and meet the millennium development goals.
Information minister Abul Kalam Azad urged community radio operators to help poor and marginal people in the country. He called on development partners for their help in capacity building, monitoring, evaluation and improving the technical area of community radio.
Arifa Sharmin, UNICEF communication manager, emphasised the importance of establishing a separate community radio desk at the information ministry and ensuring the periodic monitoring of the works of community radio and its operators.
She also said immediate actions needed to be taken to make committees such as the National Regulatory Committee, Central Monitoring Committee and regulatory bodies functional.
However, community radio operators at the launching programme demanded uninterrupted electricity supply across the country, an extension of antennas to ensure coverage of 17 kilometre areas and for technical and financial support for smooth functioning of community radios.
Nazmul Haider of community radio Sagargiri of Sitakunda, Chittagong district, said they faced power cuts for about three hours during their four hour transmission. He said they need extra money to run the transmission using generators.
Golam Mortoza of Radio Padma of Rajshahi district said people beyond four or five kilometres areas could not hear programmes, although radio antennas should ensure coverage of 17 kilometres areas.
UNICEF Bangladesh representative Pascal Villeneuve, information secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, Dhaka University teachers Golam Rahman among others spoke at the programme.
-With New Age input
