Information Minister
Hasanul Haq Inu, MP,Bangladesh, on his current visit to Sri Lanka (June 2015)
met Mass Media and Information Minister H E Gayantha Karunathilaka. Notable to our project Mobilizing Knowledge
for Sustainable Agriculture is that the Sri Lankan side expressed interest in
learning from the experience of Bangladesh in implementing Right to Information
Act and in introducing Community Radio.
Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh are two countries in S. Asia which have distinctly different
experiences in community radio for rural development. Sri Lanka has had a long
history of rural and regional radio stations. In its SLBC network there are
reportedly 15 stations now on-air in the country, aiming to ensure empowerment
and right to information for the rural community. They are broadcasting
altogether 125 hours program per day on information, education, and local
entertainment and development motivation activities. Around 1000 youth are now
working with those stations throughout the country as rural broadcasters. Sri
Lanka has 5.5 million rural people in 68 upazillas under 14 districts. Sri
Lanka stated that another 17 community-based radio stations will be on air by
December 2016. Our project has collaborated with radio stations including
Rangiri Radio and Wayamba.
Bangladesh NGOs
Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) actively works to improve
recognition of the community electronic media sector [Community Radio |
Community TV | Community Film] & its work in and involvement with the
communities it seeks to serve. BNNRC represent the community electronic media
sector to Government, Industry, Regulatory Bodies, Media, Academia and
Development Partners from 2000. The BNNRC provides leadership and support for
rural initiators to facilitate independent electronic community broadcasting
services and to build and strengthen rural communities with the support from
Free Press Unlimited.
Currently there are
15 radio Stations are on-air in the country, aiming to ensure empowerment and
right to information for the rural community. They are broadcasting altogether
120 hours program per day on information, education, and local entertainment
and development motivation activities. Around 1000 Youth Women & Youth are
now working with those Stations throughout the country as rural broadcasters.
15 community radio stations presently cover more than 4.6 million listeners of
67 upazilla of 13 districts.
The community radio
movement is important in S. Asia. It has tremendous potential to mobilize
agricultural knowledge as well as add value to new information and
communication technologies such as mobile phones. Our project has encouraged
the convergence of Open Source Software such as Frontline SMS and Freedom Fone.
Such opportunities are an encouragement for rural areas who want to access
knowledge and communicate. There is great potential in community based
programming in both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. We welcome the international
networking of these countries collaborating and wish them all the best in their
policy development and activities to support the radio+ stations!
