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Bangladesh permits 12 CR stations to operate
The government of Bangladesh on April 22, 2010 (Thursday) approved 12 of the 27 short-listed applications for installing and operating community radio stations in different parts of the country, the information ministry announced.
The approval came amid a long-drawn campaign for allowing community level broadcasting by the local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and information activists.
Of the 12, one will be run by the government itself and the remaining 11 by different NGOs.
Aminul Islam, joint-secretary of the information ministry, said after examining a total of 180 applications, 12 were approved.
The government run station, Community Rural Radio, will mostly broadcast agriculture-related information under the its agricultural information service. It will cover the Amtali area under Barguna district.
The NGOs, which got permission to operate community radio stations include BRAC to operate in Chadnighat area of Moulvibazar district, Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) in Chilmari of Kurigram, Mass-line Media Centre in Barguna, Nolta Hospital and Community Health Foundation in Kaliganj of Satkhira, Landless Distressed Rehabilitation Organization (LDRO) in Shajahanpur of Bogra, Barendra Radio in Nagaon, Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) in Sitakundu of Chittagong, Proyash Manobik Unnayan Society in Chapainawabganj, CCD in Rajshahi, Srijani Bangladesh in Pabhati of Jhenaidah and EC Bangladesh in Munshiganj.
The community radio stations will be sharing and relaying information on agriculture, education, health service, disaster risk reduction, welfare of women and children, local market price, government and non-government services among the rural communities.
Islam said it was done as a primary step to ensure people's right to information under the 'right to information act'.
He also said out of 180 applications they initially selected 116 for police clearance and 27 got to the final stage and primarily 12 of those were given permission to establish and operate stations.
Performance of these 12 stations will determine whether to allow more, he added.
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