RANGPUR, Feb 14, 2014 (BSS) - The Community Radio has become voice of the marginalised people in remote areas through awakening them for empowerment and development, speakers said at a post-rally discussion on Thursday afternoon.
They said Community Radio plays vital role in building healthier culture, knowledge-based society and disseminating need- based information timely to the local communities to help them enhancing rural uplift and changing their lifestyle.
They were addressing the discussion organised by Radio Chilmari, only private sector Community Radio station in Rangpur division, with FM 99.2 Megahertz frequency and 17-km range in all directions, at Chilmari upazila parishad premises in Kurigram.
Radio Chilmari arranged the colourful rally and discussion to observe the World Betar Day-2014 with assistances of RDRS Bangladesh, Free Press Unlimited and Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication.
Upazila level government and NGO officials, public representatives, media workers, service providers, socio-cultural activists, members of Radio Chilmari Listeners' Club and Child Club, officials and technicians of Radio Chilmari were present.
Chilmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ahsan Habib attended the discussion as the chief guest with Junior Producer of Radio Chilmari Panchanon Biswas in the chair.
Editor and Publisher of the Weekly Juger Khabar and News Editor of Radio Chilmari SM Nurul Amin Sarker, President of Chilmari Press Club Nazrul Islam Sabu and Ulipur Correspondent of Chilmari Radio Abdur Rashid Ansari addressed among others.
The speakers said Chilmari Community Radio has been informing over 5-lakh people living in the remote, hardly reachable and disaster-prone char areas from where they are easily getting all necessary information on available government services.
Role of the Community Radio has become vital following digitisation launched by the government under the A2I Programme for reaching all services to peoples' doorsteps in a hassle-free manner through the Union Information Service Centres, they said.
The chief guest said Community Radio would ensure right to information for all to empower the marginalized and backward people, root out social curses, reduce disaster risks and ensure transparency in the government's development activities.
He suggested authorities of Radio Chilmari for preparing need- based programmes to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the rural people to assist them in becoming educated, aware and achieving socio-cultural and economic uplifts.
