December 2008
To
Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmad
Honourable Chief Advisor
Non-party Caretaker Government
The People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1215
To
Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmad
Honourable Chief Advisor
Non-party Caretaker Government
The People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1215
Subject: Regarding final approval of Community Radio within the term of the non-party Caretaker Government to ensure development and good governance.
Dear Sir,
Greetings from Bangladesh NGOs’ Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC).
For your sincere consideration, Ministry of Information formulated Community Radio Installation, Broadcasting and Operation Policy 2008. Having prepared a complete pro-people policy for the first time in Bangladesh, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has already been widely appreciated by local, national and international bodies.
In order to commemorate the day of the community radio policy announcement, we have taken initiative of observing 12 March every year as Community Radio Day in a befitting manner.
Soon after the policy announcement, from 18 March 2008, Ministry of Information has published and broadcast advertisement asking application for community radio set-up. Moreover, National Regulatory Committee, Technical Sub-Committee and Central Monitoring Committee have been formed in accordance with the community radio policy.
At the same time, in order to facilitate the whole process BNNRC set up a national help desk on community radio in Dhaka. A total of 200 applications were submitted to the Ministry by the community radio initiators from the whole country.
Later in a meeting of the National Regulatory Committee on Community Radio Installation, Broadcasting and Operation held on 15 July 2008, 116 out of 200 applications have been primarily selected and sent to the Home Ministry and Bangladesh Tele-communication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) respectively for the security certificate and frequency allocation approval.
We have come to know that the approval for frequency allocation from BTRC has already reached Ministry of Information.
In the meantime, Community Radio Academy has been established with the view to building up capacity on community radio operation of the initiators. Under the initiatives of the academy, training workshops, round table, seminar etc are being organized incessantly. We believe that if the approval is given just now, at least 50/60 community radio stations can run smoothly with their adequate skills, readiness and human resources in the rural level across the country.
Therefore, we humbly request you to pay a kind consideration in issuing final approval for community radio broadcasting within the tenure of the non-party caretaker government to ease the access of the rural communities to information and to ensure good governance and development.
Greetings from Bangladesh NGOs’ Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC).
For your sincere consideration, Ministry of Information formulated Community Radio Installation, Broadcasting and Operation Policy 2008. Having prepared a complete pro-people policy for the first time in Bangladesh, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has already been widely appreciated by local, national and international bodies.
In order to commemorate the day of the community radio policy announcement, we have taken initiative of observing 12 March every year as Community Radio Day in a befitting manner.
Soon after the policy announcement, from 18 March 2008, Ministry of Information has published and broadcast advertisement asking application for community radio set-up. Moreover, National Regulatory Committee, Technical Sub-Committee and Central Monitoring Committee have been formed in accordance with the community radio policy.
At the same time, in order to facilitate the whole process BNNRC set up a national help desk on community radio in Dhaka. A total of 200 applications were submitted to the Ministry by the community radio initiators from the whole country.
Later in a meeting of the National Regulatory Committee on Community Radio Installation, Broadcasting and Operation held on 15 July 2008, 116 out of 200 applications have been primarily selected and sent to the Home Ministry and Bangladesh Tele-communication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) respectively for the security certificate and frequency allocation approval.
We have come to know that the approval for frequency allocation from BTRC has already reached Ministry of Information.
In the meantime, Community Radio Academy has been established with the view to building up capacity on community radio operation of the initiators. Under the initiatives of the academy, training workshops, round table, seminar etc are being organized incessantly. We believe that if the approval is given just now, at least 50/60 community radio stations can run smoothly with their adequate skills, readiness and human resources in the rural level across the country.
Therefore, we humbly request you to pay a kind consideration in issuing final approval for community radio broadcasting within the tenure of the non-party caretaker government to ease the access of the rural communities to information and to ensure good governance and development.
