The operation of Community Radio, the radio for disseminating news and information of individual community, is yet to be started in the country due to the indifference of the government.
Sources said community radio, which has been playing an important role in transmitting local information, E–learning, entertainment, disasters management and mass awareness on different issues in most of the countries of the world, could be turned into a major means of transmitting information in Bangladesh during natural disasters in the coastal areas.
It was learnt that Mass–Line Media Centre (MMC) took an initiative to establish community radio in the disaster-prone coastal areas in 1997 but could not succeed as the government did not approved its proposal.
When contacted Kamrul Hassan Monju, executive director of MMC, told that the frequent incidents of natural disaster, including high tide and cyclone, wrought havoc in the coastal areas every year.
"Conducting a study, we found that the regular broadcast of the Bangladesh Radio could not be listened clearly in the deep sea and the fishermen, sometimes, failed to understand the signals delivered in standard language," he added.
But Community Radio can solve the problem, as it would deliver news in their colloquial languages, he added.
AHM Bazlur Rahman, the chief of the executive department of Bangladesh NGO's Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), told that during the last six years they have been advocating the government to establish Community Radio and the Information Ministry took a dillydally tactics in name of preparing a coordinated regulation for radio broadcast.
The Information Ministry on the other hand shows various demerits of establishing community radio saying that the community radio might be hijacked for terrorist acts and used for political purpose, he added.
Sources said that a community radio could cover only between 20 to 25 kilometres area and could easily be jammed by the BTR C authorities in case of such situation and as the operation committee of community radio would be from the selected people from local community and the government representatives.
Asked Ahmed Sawpan, the executive director of Voices of Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE), told that the community radio could not be operated because the broadcast rule was not prepared.
He said that if the new broadcast regulation is passed, there would be no bar in functioning community radio.
Concerned sources said that the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) has prepared a draft on broadcasting rule in June, 2003 that is yet to be approved by the ministry.
However, ministry officials refrained from providing any information about the matter.
Community radio is in operation in many countries, including neighbouring Nepal, Sri Lanka and India, and playing an important role in developing individual community.
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