Consultation on community radio begins today

Information Minister M Shamsul Islam will inaugurate the function as chief guest.

The consultation will be organised by Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), The Forum for Development Journalism and Communication Studies (Focus), Mass Line Media Centre (MMC),Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) and Voice.

Unesco, UNDP and Unicef will support the event.

This was stated by the speakers at a press conference organised by the National Advisory Committee on Community Radio in Bangladesh at the National Press Club yesterday.

They said the community radio will provide locals with necessary information on trade, weather, agriculture, education, natural calamities and many more things to make their life more easier.

Citing the example of Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines, the speakers said it is very common in many countries now a days and very economical to install and easy to operate.

Radio is very easy to carry, and people can keep it with them while working in the field, they added.

The speakers said the community radio is for people, run by people and owned by people too.

Transmitting programmes on local language is one of the greatest advantages of this radio, they added.

Kamrul Hassan Monju, chairman of the steering committee and executive director of MMC, SM Rezanul Alam, assistant communication officer of the Unicef, AHM Bazlur Rahman, chief executive officer of BNNRC, Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of Voice, Assistant Professor of Dhaka University Rubaiyat Ferdous from Focus, and Ichirio Miwazaya, programme officer of the Unesco, spoke at the press conference.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minster Moudud Ahmed will attend the concluding day programme as chief guest.