Introduction

In the history of Bangladesh’s mass media, community radio is an important social and democratic initiative. It is not merely a medium of entertainment; rather, it is a powerful medium for ensuring the right of people in remote areas to access information, highlighting local problems, creating awareness about agriculture and healthcare services, responding to disasters, and bringing the voices of marginalized communities before the state and society.

An organization closely associated with the long movement to translate this concept into reality in Bangladesh is the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication—BNNRC, along with its founder/Chief Executive Officer, AHM Bazlur Rahman. FAO documents also identify AHM Bazlur Rahman as the Founding Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of BNNRC and as an expert in community farm broadcasting.

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১. The Beginning of a Long Civic Movement from 2000

BNNRC has been working since 2000 to establish the rights to community radio and community media in Bangladesh. The organization has engaged in advocacy or policy dialogue with various levels of government, regulatory bodies, the media, development partners, and civil society.

Under the leadership of AHM Bazlur Rahman, BNNRC’s central argument was that rural and marginalized communities should not remain merely listeners of state-owned or commercial media; they also need their own media based on their own needs, languages, cultures, and local realities.

International sources have also noted that, since 2000, BNNRC, together with other organizations, had been conducting continuous advocacy with the government in favor of community radio.

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২. The Community Radio Policy of 2008—A Historic Milestone

One of the major achievements of this long-standing advocacy came in 2008.

The then Ministry of Information announced the Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy 2008. For the first time, this created a governmental policy framework for the establishment, broadcasting, and operation of community radio in Bangladesh.

This was a historic change. Before this, Bangladesh’s broadcasting system was largely confined to state-owned and limited private broadcasting. The 2008 policy opened up a new broadcasting horizon for rural communities and civil society.

The role of BNNRC here was primarily to conduct policy advocacy, create awareness, organize various stakeholders, and provide support in building the capacity of potential initiators.

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৩. The Personal Leadership of AHM Bazlur Rahman

The full significance of AHM Bazlur Rahman’s contribution cannot be understood if it is viewed merely as the administrative leadership of an NGO.

He sought to connect community radio with grassroots communication, participatory development, and the right to information in Bangladesh.

In his various writings and presentations, community radio has been presented as a medium where people are not merely listeners—they are participants in programme production, expression of opinions, and discussions on local development.

For this reason, under his leadership, BNNRC worked for a long period as a policy bridge between the government and civil society.

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৪. From Government Approval to Actual Broadcasting

After the 2008 policy, the matter did not remain confined to paper.

In April 2010, for the first time, several initiating organizations were given approval to establish and operate community radio stations in Bangladesh. Contemporary international reports mentioned the approval of 12 initiating organizations in the first phase.

The number increased further over time. BNNRC provided various potential initiating organizations with assistance regarding the application process, technical matters, programme planning, and policy guidelines.

A research-based report mentioned that approximately 200 organizations received technical assistance through BNNRC’s National Help Desk in the community radio application process.

This is an important example of BNNRC’s practical contribution.

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৫. The Right to Information Act 2009 and Community Radio

Here, an important point needs to be clarified.

No separate law titled “Community Radio” was passed by the National Parliament.

However, there is an important policy relationship between the development of community radio and the Right to Information Act, 2009.

On 29 March 2009, the Right to Information Act, 2009 was passed during the first session of the Ninth National Parliament.

The core philosophy of this Act is to ensure the people’s right to information and to increase transparency and accountability in the activities of state and government institutions.

Community radio became an effective means of implementing that right to information at the local level.

In other words,

Right to Information Act → Citizens’ Right to Access Information → Local People’s Information Needs → Community Radio → Grassroots Information Empowerment

The significance of community radio can be understood within this continuum.

BNNRC has also worked for many years to connect community radio with the free flow of information and the empowerment of marginalized communities.

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৬. Where Does the National Parliament’s Role Lie?

To analyze the role of the National Parliament, two issues—“law” and “policy”—must be distinguished.

The principal approval framework for community radio was established through the policy of the Ministry of Information. Following the 2008 policy, the government formulated a national strategy in 2012. Government documents state that the purpose of the national strategy was to establish the government’s dual roles as regulator and facilitator for implementing the 2008 policy.

On the other hand, the National Parliament played a role in creating the broader legal framework for information flow and citizens’ rights, including the Right to Information Act, 2009.

Therefore, it would be more accurate to say—

The direct legal and regulatory foundation of community radio came from government policy and administrative decisions; while the important contribution of the National Parliament was to create the broader legal environment for the right to information and democratic accountability.

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৭. The National Strategy of 2012

To make the 2008 policy effective, the government adopted the National Strategy for the Implementation of Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operations Policy in 2012.

This strategy document referred to the government’s twofold role—as regulator and facilitator—in developing community radio as a partner in the development process.

At this stage, the advocacy of BNNRC and other relevant organizations became even more important.

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৮. The National Regulatory Framework

Subsequent policies established a national regulatory committee structure for the establishment, broadcasting, and operation of community radio.

The government’s draft policy referred to a structure in which the Secretary of the Ministry of Information would serve as Chairman, relevant officials—including the Director General of Bangladesh Betar—would serve as members, and a Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information would serve as Member-Secretary. At the same time, responsibilities were assigned for reviewing and amending the policy and coordinating laws and regulations.

Thus, community radio gradually developed into an institutional broadcasting system.

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৯. Another Major Contribution of BNNRC—Training and Capacity Building

Developing a policy alone does not make community radio successful.

What is required is—

- Creating local entrepreneurs;
- Training radio personnel;
- Programme production;
- Journalism;
- Technical skills;
- Station management;
- Participation of local communities;
- Participation of women and marginalized communities;
- Disaster-time broadcasting systems.

BNNRC has been conducting training and capacity-building activities in these areas for many years.

The scope of its work has now expanded beyond community radio to community media, digital democracy, journalism, and rural communication.

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১০. Why Is Community Radio So Important?

For people living in the chars, coastal areas, haor regions, border areas, and remote rural communities of Bangladesh, information provided by national media does not always correspond to local realities.

Community radio fills precisely this gap.

A local radio station can say—

“Today the river water is rising.”

“What is the cyclone warning?”

“How can farmers protect their paddy?”

“What services are available at the local hospital?”

“When can fishermen go to the river?”

“Where can women seek remedies for violence against them?”

“What are the procedures for receiving government allowances?”

For this reason, community radio is not merely broadcasting; it is part of the local development infrastructure.

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১১. A Special Role in Disaster Response

Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country.

During cyclones, tidal surges, floods, river erosion, or pandemics, rapidly delivering information in the local language is crucial for saving lives.

The greatest strength of community radio is that it can deliver information to local people, in their own language, focusing on local problems.

Here, the long-term value of BNNRC’s advocacy and capacity-building work is particularly significant.

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১২. The Voice of Marginalized People

The greatest political and social significance of community radio lies in the concept of the “voice of the voiceless.”

The farmer who cannot hold a press conference in Dhaka,
the fisherman who does not get an opportunity to speak on national television,
the woman who feels hesitant to approach the administration with a local problem,
the resident of a char who is almost invisible in national news—

community radio can bring their voices to the local level.

That is why BNNRC has viewed community media as being closely connected with democracy, participation, and the establishment of the right to information.

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১৩. From Policy to Today’s Community Radio

The 2008 policy was the beginning. Subsequently, the National Strategy of 2012 and, over time, amendments and updates to the policy were introduced.

The official website of Bangladesh Betar currently also refers to the Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy 2022.

This means that the door opened in 2008 has, over the subsequent years, evolved into a broader community media framework.

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১৪. An Assessment of AHM Bazlur Rahman’s Contribution

AHM Bazlur Rahman’s contribution can broadly be assessed at five levels—

First—Conceptual Leadership:
His role was important in connecting community radio in Bangladesh with development, the right to information, and grassroots empowerment.

Second—Policy Advocacy:
Long-term advocacy for policy change by highlighting the necessity of community radio to the government.

Third—Institution Building:
Establishing BNNRC as a national networking platform in the field of community radio and community media.

Fourth—Capacity Building:
Training and providing technical assistance to radio initiators, journalists, and local broadcasters.

Fifth—Grassroots Empowerment:
Creating opportunities for remote communities not only to access information but also to express their own voices.

FAO information also describes BNNRC as an organization representing the community electronic media sector to the government, industry, regulatory bodies, media, academia, and development partners since 2000.

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১৫. BNNRC’s Place in History

If the history of community radio in Bangladesh is arranged in a continuum, the picture would be—

২০০০ — Launch of BNNRC and advocacy

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২০০০–২০০৭ — Policy advocacy for establishing the rights to community radio

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২০০৮ — Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy

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২০০৯ — Right to Information Act

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২০১০ — Government approval of the first phase of community radio initiatives

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২০১২ — National Strategy

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Subsequent years — Expansion, training, capacity building, and new policies

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২০২২ — Updated Community Radio Policy

Within this continuum, BNNRC and AHM Bazlur Rahman can be regarded as one of the long-standing civil-society-based driving forces behind the community radio movement in Bangladesh.

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Conclusion

The history of establishing community radio in Bangladesh is essentially the history of the collective efforts of the state, civil society, development organizations, and local communities.

However, throughout this long journey, the role of AHM Bazlur Rahman and BNNRC was particularly significant—especially in the areas of advocacy, policy dialogue, capacity building, and grassroots communication.

One historical fact needs to be remembered here—community radio did not emerge in a single day or through the passage of a single law. It was the collective outcome of years of civic movement, policy efforts, government decisions, and subsequent actual broadcasting.

The National Parliament played an important role in providing legal recognition to the people’s right to information through the Right to Information Act, 2009; while the Executive Branch opened the way for community broadcasting through the Community Radio Policy of 2008.

Between these two streams, civil-society organizations such as BNNRC and policy advocates like AHM Bazlur Rahman created a bridge. In the history of Bangladesh’s media, this remains their most important contribution.

Therefore, the history of community radio in Bangladesh is not merely the history of establishing several radio stations; it is the history of a long democratic journey to bring the right to information from the capital to remote villages, chars, coastal areas, and marginalized communities.