Community sector joins committee to draft Bangladesh broadcasting law

Community broadcasters in Bangladesh have joined a national committee set up by the government to formulate laws for the establishment of a National Broadcasting Commission.

The committee includes 38 members from broadcasting stakeholders in the country. Headed by mass communication specialist and academic Prof Golam Rahman, the committee will draft a law on the structure and procedures of a National Broadcasting Commission and the National Broadcasting Act 2015, working in accordance with the National Broadcasting Policy released in 2014.

Prof Rahman is acting Pro-Vice Chancellor of Daffodil International University and the Bangladesh representative of The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC). The Ministry of Information has included the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) as a member to represent the community media sector. It will also sit on a seven-member sub-committee, whose first meeting was chaired by barrister Tanjibul Haque.

BNNRC CEO Mr Bazlur Rahman said his organisation had been struggling for 14 years for the development of a National Broadcasting Commission and National Broadcasting Act in Bangladesh.

He said his organisation “provides leadership and support for rural initiators to facilitate independent electronic community broadcasting services and to build and strengthen rural communities”.

He hoped the national committee would be able to submit a draft law on the structure and legal procedures on a National Broadcasting Commission within 60 days and a draft of the National Broadcasting Act within 90 days.