Open Up the Air Transmission Waves

Voices for the Voice Less

Community Radio aiming to

Buildup Knowledge Society
at the Grassroots level of Bangladesh
-Policy Advocacy Plan

Prepared by

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR

Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for
Radio and Communication
House:13/1 Road: 2 Shamoli Dhaka 1207
Bangladesh
E-mail: bnnrc@bd.drik.net
Introduction

Radio is a powerful media in Bangladesh. It can reach people who live in areas with no phones and no
electricity. Radio reaches people who can't read or write. It can be a main venue to distribute information,
discuss issues and define our culture. Community radio is a concept that uses this powerful media and
brings it to the people. It focuses on the use of appropriate communication and information tools to support
decision-making and encourage dialogue between citizens and public authorities thereby enhancing
democratic governance. Bangladesh, most importantly the rural communities in Bangladesh, can be
benefited from such a media.

An Overview of the Challenge

The increasing globalization context poses different challenges. The challenges are probably important for
Bangladeshi NGOs/CSOs. With a huge backlog history large population entry barriers and poverty are the
major issues that we have to encounter in day to life. With a huge backlog history we encounter several
major issues such as large population, entry barriers and poverty] .For greater interest we must solve these
problems by facing all these challenges.

By increasing competition and globalization has made the poor and disadvantaged, even more vulnerable.
NGOs thus face stiff challenges at all levels of the society. There are major role to play in transforming this
competitive ethos into a positive attitude within own capacity for greater interest.

Globalization has even affected national and donor institutions, which provide fund and include grant for
development. Globalization has resulted in a surge in demand for power both for production and
consumption both in the rural and urban areas. The poor in both these areas are consequently find it even
more difficult to have access to critical resources.

In Bangladesh as a development communication planner I have been examining issues relating to

democratization of the media, the right to communicate and access to information and communication
technologies particularly for the economically and socially deprived.

With the thrust towards globalization Bangladeshi economy emerges to global corporate interests. The
process of dismounting state monopolies and control over the broadcasting sector has begun. The effort of
some development NGOs on this issue has been to ensure the interest and voices of those section of
society who are not primary target audience for the private commercial broadcaster but who even the most
deprived among the general Bangladeshi poor. They intent remain inarticulate and kept marginalized.

Along with other advocates of democratic and public sector service media we have arranged for the new
dispensation to make specific provision for independent broadcasting station that has to be set up locally by
NGOs/CSOs educational institution and cooperatives.

In particular low cost local FM Rural Radio station covering restricted geographical areas can very effectively
fill the information and communication need of the communities.

In Bangladesh globalization basically transforms communication into a commodity like any other
commodities, which is used for commercial gain only. We have realized the importance of Community Radio
and we like to establish our own mainstream mass media communication for the greater interest of the rural
poor.

Importance of Community Radio

Community Radio is radio for the people and by the people. The main objective of such a radio station is to
enhance democratic process at a local level by giving voice to the voiceless. Also such an outlet helps in
increasing diversity of content and information at the local level in order to promote culture. It also
encourages participation, sharing information and innovation.

For instance, community radio can play a vital role in a farming community. Most of these farmers won't
have Internet access in their lifetime. Most people wont have access to a telephone. Although number of
television in rural areas is increasing, it lacks content that is locally determined, relevant, appropriate — and
accessible to the farmers. So radio can be an important factor in the rural life.
Several countries in South Asia already implemented community radio. Radio Sagarmatha in Nepal and
Kothmale Radio is Sri Lanka is two successful community radios that had some huge impacts in the
community.

Role of NGOs
In Bangladesh NGOs activities and programs have already earned reputation working for the socioeconomic
development of the poor people, their project areas are limited and well defined. The objectives and target
groups are specific to reach in to the goal, they have to win the total confidence of the local community.
NGOs have to inform the people about their projects and activities. Rather they have to ensure peoples
participation in implementing the projects.

For Dissemination of information they usually depend upon personal and group contact. Due to lack of
proper transport facility and paucity of project staffs, communication becomes difficult. Effectiveness of
communication mostly depends upon the individual abilities of individuals. Sometimes lack of
communication creates major problem in transferring the information, but if we an effective communication
but it is quite possible by establishing community radio network that will help to communicate within areas.

We only need to emphasize that radio can do it effectively on a large scale. Any other media cannot achieve
the instantaneous quality of the massage and its possibility to cover thousands of people at a time

The depth of the people’s participation that a community Radio can bring forth is the most significant
advantage. With community radio interaction will be wider and more frequent. There are many examples of
how such community radio can support and empower children, youth, women, and farmers and ethnic
group.

In Bangladesh access of poor and deprived community to radio and television is very limited. The prospects
for decreasing the gap of information between the rich and poor are gradually increasing. In globalization
context potentials of the mass media technologies are indispensable in Bangladesh. But as experience has
shown the gap of information between the have and the have not are increasing while the poor are
dependent on rich and therefore the poor become oppressed.

NGOs of Bangladesh must develop the strategies to influence the national and global institution controlling
mass media through public discourse and alliance building. Communication media is a serious concern of
development areas of Bangladesh. So that NGOs could run a Community Radio station to serve the
communication needs of their development projects.

Community Radio station can participate in the life of the community by broadcasting program on rural
festival and fairs .It can organize campaign, rallies, competition where the whole community get an
opportunity to come together and share information and experience. It helps to strengthen the bond between
the community radio and the community peoples and develop a strong association with the station. Listening
different program becomes their habit and part of life. Neither other channel nor any other media can allure
themes the need of community radio is beyond any doubt and this is for the betterment of the humanity.

Policy Advocacy Plan for Community Radio

Problem Who Benefits Causes Solution Comments
Who Loses

Increasing -Rural People -Only Govt. radio -Advocacy with

Information gap -Rural youth station policy makers
between the rich -Rural Women -Monopoly -To encourage
and the poor -NGOs/CSOs program NGOs/CBOs
specially the rural -Radio Bangladesh -lack of need -Dialogue with
of Bangladesh -Information based program concern
related company -Lack of rural ministries
-Rich people centered -Dialogue with
-Monopoly program Radio Bangladesh
business
SWOT analysis on Community Radio
Strength Weakness Opportunity Threats

-Grassroots based -Lack of -Democratic -Vested interested

experience experience on governance group
-Institutional public policy -Govt. Media
motivation analysis -Grassroots -Patriarchal
-Institution -Lack on technical support structure
flexibility person on -Donor
-Resources community radio -International
-Clear vision recognition
and mission on community
-Strong leadership radio
-Access to media -Legal provision
-Networking for BBC, VOA
ability DW and radio
-Research Metro wave
-Access to policy -Amateur Radio
level holder group
-Resource -Go-NGO
mobilization partnership
-South Asian
collaboration

Policy Advocacy Plan on ------

Constituents Policy advocacy Organizational Uncertainties
Allies and influence tactics consideration
opponents

Constituents -Analysis of -Experience in -Long term budget

broadcasting Policy advocacy for advocacy
-Rural People policy/ executive -Broad reach
-Target group of order -Extensive
NGOs -Work on drafting constituency
bill base
Allies -Lobbying with
concerned
NGOs/CBOs ministries
-Donor -Dialogue with
-Rural Media some selected
MPs (Position
Opponents and opposition)
-Govt. Media -Collect community
- radio
related information
from other
countries
-Provide
community
radio related
information
to Govt. and other
Short and long term plan
Goal Short term objective Target 2nd target

-To enact a - A change in -Concern cabinet -Media

community radio present minister -Radio Bangladesh
broadcasting broadcasting -MPs -God Father
policy/ executive policy/order -Media persons
order -National institute
of Mass
Communication
-Press Institute of
Bangladesh
-Mass
Communication
and Journalism
of Universities
-Rural Press Club.

Policy advocacy plan

Objective Activities Resource required Where obtained Indicators of the

the resources effectiveness

Change in Existing -Review existing -Legal Expert -Legal expertise -Change in

Broadcasting law/executive order -Public Policy from BLAST broadcasting laws/
Law/executive -Comparative analyst and BELA executive order
order research on laws -Research -Fund from Donor -Report on status
for community personnel -National Institute of present
radio of other -Expert for Alliance of mass broadcasting
countries. -Fund communication laws
-Propose new -Radio Bangladesh -New draft of policy
drafts to legislator -Mass line Media -Positive
or concern Center (MMC) responses
ministries from GO and
-Lobby key player NGOs/CSOs
for implementation -Campaign
ratification of activities
proposed
legislator
-Lobby with
political leader
-Dialogue with
MPs
-Organize seminar
on Community
Radio
- Publications

AHM Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer, BNNRC