Today (Feb 13) is the fourth World Radio Day. The Day occasions soul-searching for an effective role of community radio as change-agents in socio-economic development of a country. Thanks to ceaseless efforts of the United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), Bangladesh today is using community radio stations to achieve faster economic development as well as to mitigate consequences of natural disasters. Community radio has given voice to the voiceless, unheard of by the mainstream radio stations.
Director-General of the UNESCO Ms Irina Bokova has a special message for the occasion. She called for 'greater social inclusion of the generation under 30 years old,' which accounts for more than half of the world's population and underline the power of radio to contribute to this objective.
"Young women and men are not sufficiently represented in the media -- an exclusion that often reflects a wider social, economic and democratic exclusion. Young producers and broadcasters are still rare. Too few programmes are devoted to or designed by young people. This deficit explains the many stereotypes concerning young people circulating in the media and over the airwaves, " she said.
In fact, the UNESCO, as Ms Irina Bokova pointed out, is currently using the radio to broadcast health emergency messages in response to the Ebola crisis. Radio can also help rebuild social links in refugee communities and the UNESCO contributes here to disseminating education, culture and information by backing programmes created and hosted by young people, she added.
The first community radio station of Bhola Island of Bangladesh Community Radio Meghna 98.4 is going on-air from Charfashion sadar upazila. Radio Meghna continuously broadcasts programmes on diversified resources of the Bay of Bengal and in protecting lives and livelihood of small fishermen and the small islanders. The Coastal Association for Social Transformation (COAST) Trust initiated community radio Meghna.
Presently, 14 community radio stations are on air and they are broadcasting 120 hours of programmes a day.
A total of nearly 1,000 youths are involved as broadcasters with those stations. Community radio stations are going to be popular in this country; its approximate audience numbering 4.6 million.
Now the poor and marginalised community people of Char Fashion sadar are participating in discussion of their own issues through Radio Meghna. Having a radio at their doorsteps, now the poor community people have the scope to reflect on their problems and prospects in their local dialect.
Community radio in Bangladesh has created scope for the poor and marginalised community to raise their own voice; it becomes the voice for the voiceless.
This neo-media outlet has opened scope to establish their rights to information and communication in social, political, cultural and environmental arena. Scope has also been widened for poverty reduction and sustainable development because of the rights to raise voice of the community and accessibility to knowledge and information.
Community Radio is now able to play a more active role in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) due to establishment of effective linkage between the government departments and local/rural community.
Happily, the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication is promoting the cause to other organizations since its emergence from 2000. BNNRC has been addressing the community radio and community TV access issue for over a decade.
Since November 2011, when Krishi Radio began broadcasting expert advice, hope has been building up that a good portion of abandoned land in six coastal districts can be recovered for farming.
Krishi Radio anchors regularly discuss best practices and encourage farmers to stay put on their lands in the face of climate change impacts that are already being felt.
In fact, community radio can play a significant role in turning Bangladesh into a middle-income country through contributing to curbing poverty, promoting primary education, promoting gender equality and reducing mortality rate.
The present government's support for setting up of community radio stations has been well taken by the UNESCO which, we believe, will continue to support the medium.
arjayster@gmail.com
