Worried for families back home

Although the state-owned Bangladesh Television has started broadcasting in Middle East and North Africa recently on a pilot basis, private TV channels from Bangladedsh are still out of reach in the regions, limiting some 70 lakh Bangladeshi migrants from knowing about their homeland's present situation amid coronavirus outbreak.

Transmission of all Bangladeshi television channels are now being ensured via Bangabandhu-I. Earlier, the channels had telecast programmes in Middle East using "free-to-air" technology through installing devices at residences, said officials.

More than 30 channels' transmissions remained stopped since December last year because Bangabandhu-I did not cover the region yet.

Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL) Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood on April 12 said BTV World's experimental transmission started at 1am on April 10 to the Middle Eastern and North African countries using Bangladesh's lone satellite Bangabandhu-I.

BCSCL, assigned to operate Bangabandhu-I, has taken the initiative as almost 70 percent of the around 1 crore Bangladeshi expatriates live in the Middle Eastern and North African countries, he said.

"Initially, we are working on BTV World and based upon theoutcomes, we would start the process for private TV channels," he added. Shahjahan also said a tender would be floated at that time. "We would sign an agreement with the lowest bidder."

Meanwhile amid the global coronavirus pandemic, Bangladesh missions in Middle East have found it difficult to convey messages to expatriates -- largely migrant workers -- on the evolving situation.

Finding no other way, recently Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi sought help of Saudi state television to air his message in Bangla to convey some crucial steps -- including visa extension and treatment for both regular and undocumented migrant workers.

As authorities in different Middle Eastern countries have taken various measures including imposing curfew and countrywide shutdown, television channels have become even more important to reach information to Bangladeshi workers.

Talking to this newspaper, Ambassador Moshi said he contacted the ministers concerned including post and telecommunications minister and repeatedly requested them to take measures to start the channels' transmission in Middle East.

"However, they only assured me verbally but did not resolve the problem," he said.

Moshi, also Bangladesh's permanent representative to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, said some migrants live in remote areas in the vast region and reaching them with message via television is easier than other means.

Due to air communication suspension, many Bangladeshis are stranded in some Middle Eastern countries. So, sending them message was essential for their safe repatriation, said the ambassador. He said about 45 to 50 lakh Bangladeshis live in different Middle Eastern countries at present.

The Saudi authorities had asked the ambassador to prepare a list of stranded Bangladeshis so that the Gulf country could arrange a charter flight to ferry them to Dhaka, he said.

Middle East is a primary destination of less-educated Bangladeshi migrant workers who often lack sufficient communications skills on foreign languages. As a result, they largely depend on Bangla medium as means of their communications and entertainment.

Currently, alongside being worried about their own health safety, they are equally anxious about their dear ones back home and tend to get information via reliable media.

Abdur Rahim, a chauffeur of a Dubai family, said although he is worried about Bangladesh situation, he could not get information time to time due to absence of Bangladeshi channels.

"There are options to watch different Bangla private television channels on YouTube. But it is not affordable for many low-paid workers," said Rahim, who is from Dhaka's Keraniganj. "All we do is worry about our families back home."

He also said information those surfaced on social media were not necessarily authentic all the time, urging the government to take steps for Bangladeshi channels' transmission in the Arab region.

Contacted, Post and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar said he is aware that Bangladeshis in Middle East cannot watch Bangla channels.

He said he thanked the Bangladesh ambassador in Saudi Arabia for raising the issue before the government. The ministry has taken it seriously and already stated to address the problem, he told this newspaper over phone.

However, the progress is halted because of coronavirus outbreak, he said.