Information Secretary Martuza Ahmed inaugurated a three-day seminar on the ‘Status and role of community radio in SAARC region: Community radio development for social justice and local development’ at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the capital on Wednesday, says a PID handout.
Representatives of Information and Broadcasting Ministries and Community Radio stakeholders of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka are participating in the seminar jointly organized by SAARC Information Centre (SIC) and World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC Asia-Pacific) in coordination with the Information Ministry of Bangladesh.
Martuza Ahmed said, Community Radio created a new dimension in our media landscape and proved its scope and potential all over the world particularly in South Asian countries.
The Information Secretary underscored the importance of Community Radio as the voice of the rural people and as a mode of common people for access to information which in turn helps them to establish their fundamental rights.
The Community Radio also upholds the local culture and local language, helps exchange of ideas and views among the community members and is to play an important role in transforming Bangladesh to a Digital one, said Martuza Ahmed.
He also mentioned that the government has permitted 32 Community Radio stations as per their Election Manifesto both in 2009 and 2014. In the meantime 14 Community Radio stations have started operations and are serving the community, he informed the seminar.
The seminar, a follow up of the South Asian Community Radio Seminar held in Kathmandu last September focuses on identifying community radio issues cutting across national boundaries and ways of strengthening community broadcasting in South Asia.
During the seminar the participants will also explore strategies for regional cooperation in the related field through closer ties among SAARC members.
Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) and Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication (BNNRC) are taking part in the seminar as partners.
SIC Director Laxmi Bilas Koirala, President of AMARC Asia-Pacific Maica Lagman, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India Supriya Sahu, DG (SAARC) of Bangladesh Foreign Ministry Abdul Motaleb Sarker and Regional Coordinator of AMARC Asia-Pacific Suman Basnet spoke in the inaugural ceremony chaired by Mohd Abul Hossain, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information.