Community Radio: Voices of the Rural People-Putting Community Radio First for Digital Bangladesh

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) is promoting the advocacy with the government in relations to community radio with other organizations since its emergence. The objective of BNNRC’s Community Radio intervention is to address crucial social issues at community level, such as poverty and social exclusion, empower marginalized rural groups and catalyze democratic processes and ongoing development efforts.

Community Radio is going to make an important place in development field in Bangladesh. 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 and 2nd policy in South Asia, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has already been widely appreciated by local, national and international bodies.

Under this circumstance, BNNRC has taken initiative of publishing a Community Radio Handbook for Good Governance and Development to meet the basic needs and demands of the community radio initiators, regulators, managers, community leaders and community broadcasters in respect to setting up and operating the community radio stations successfully in Bangladesh.

In the meantime, Community Radio Academy has been established by Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) with a 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.

This handbook will be a good compilation of all necessary chapters and key aspects of community radio operation mechanism. With the help of this Community Radio Handbook, Community Radio stakeholders will have knowledge of technical and management skills, come to know about the function, management, procedure, prospect, sustainability, working environment, financial management, culture, socio-economic status, challenges and difficulties of running Community Radio and have all concerned resources and facilities available for their progress and success.

This Handbook will be helpful for long-term preservation and sharing as a guide with the concerned policy makers, donor agencies, Community Radio related regulators, technical and monitoring committee members, local, and central administration such as, Parliamentarian, Ministries, Civil Society, Upa zila Chairman, Deputy Commissioners (DC), Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO), officials of the local intelligence wings and law enforcing agencies, local government and people working in this field for nation building process at different level.