Radio as a medium of broadcasting started functioning in Dhaka on December 16, 1939. The first radio station in Dhaka or the then East Bengal was set up in a house at Nazimuddin Road, now an older port of the city. The centre moved to a new building at shabag on February 8,1960 in a specially construction of being associated with the liberation of the country from Pakistan occupation while it put on March 26, 1971. During the war, seventy five million people had to depend only on Radio broadcast from the clandestine station for the latest information of the war. It boosted up the morale of out brave freedom fighters to attain the ultimate victory. Till December 06, 1971 this renamed as "Bangladesh Betar".

On July 30, 1983, Bangladesh Betar, Dhaka center moved to a modernized and spacious building, equipped with all high-tech facilities at sher-e-Baangla Nagor, north of Dhaka city. The shahbag building serves as National Broadcasting Authority (NBA) with the transmission facilities for the External services, Transcription Service, Commercial Service and of late, for BBC Transmission of FM band originated since May 1, 1994 for about daily, 11 hours 30 minutes broadcasts.

Bangladesh Betar (Radio) is the largest electronic mass media of Bangladesh. Here all activities revolve roundthe coordination of four of its wings. They are – Programmes, News, Engineering and Administration. Their work-procedure is quite distinctive. Nevertheless, they are complementary to each other for the interest of this institution. Programmes are being broadcast by the unified efforts of these wings. In short the chief objectives of the programmes are-

Bangladesh Betar broadcasting its programmes through 10 regional stations: Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Raangpur, Sylhet, Thakugaon, Rangamati, Barishal and Cox’s Bazar. Besides, we have several units or offices.

Studios of Bangladesh Betar

Total Number of studios=67

Projects under the financial assistance of UNICEF & WORLD BANK _

Bangladesh Betar Broadcasting a large number of programmes with the help of UNICEF & WORLD BANK on development of women and children and also to improve over all nutritious status World Bank and UNICEF are funding those programmes under two projects. They are-

1. Communication for achieving Bangladesh Goal for women and children Development. 2. Nutrition Communication Activities of Bangladesh.

The first project was introduced in 1995, On an average per day Betar broadcasts 315 minutes of programmes basing on overall development of health status and enactment of child and female rights. Dhaka station broadcasts 50 minutes, Population Health and Nutrition Cell broadcasts 45 minutes and Fram Broadcast, broadcasts 20 minutes of programmes on different time is day. Besides Chittagong Rajshahi, Sylhet, Rangpur and Khulna regional stations broadcast children and women development programme in total 200 minutes each day.

In addition to those regular programme several important day or weeks like-National Immunization Day, sanitation Week, O.R.T. Expedition. safe Motherhood Week, Nutrition Week, Breast-feeding week, Child Right week, vitamin `A’ week, etc. are being observed by airing special programmes on them.

Under the Nutrition Communication activities every day Dhaka station broadcasts 15 minutes of programmes while the total broadcast hour of such programme from other stations is 67 minutes per day.

To make those programme more attractive and effective and to bring variations in several programme formats like talks, round-table discussions, interviews, dramas, music, slogans. Sports, Jingles etc. are being used. It needs to mention here that Bangladesh Betar is taking necessary measures to motivate listeners to listen nutrition related related programmes by supplying radio sets in 8 thousands Community Nutrition Centers of 40 than as under BINP to organize `Listener’s Forum.

For production and dissemination of such programs Bangladesh Betar has been rewarded by many foreign and domestic bodies and appreciated highly by different forums.

Units under the Programme Wing

Commercial service: Commercial Service of Bangladesh Betar broadcasts programmes designed primarily to earn profit from advertising revenues. Commercial advertisements, film songs and different attractive musical programmes are produced here in keeping with the objective of Bangladesh Betar. The total broadcast hour of such programmes from all stations is 16 hours 55 minutes per day.

Transcription Service: The primary function of this service is to function as archive of Bangladesh Betar. In addition tom preserving significant radio programmes, this unit produces a number of remarkable programmes. Here production of programmes is oriented with a view to achieving, five goals- archiving, broadcasting, distributing, participating in competition and producing community-based programmes. Transcription service collects, preserves and makes use of programme materials closely adherent to our cultural heritage like folk songs, interviews renowned personalities and so on. Under the newly developed system of "The Digital Archive Project" those materials are being preserved here in CD-ROMS instead of magnetic tapes. The programmes produced by the brilliant programme produces of this unit have received international acclamation several times. Few of those awards are mentioned below:

Farm Broadcast: The target audience of this unit is the persons engaged in the agriculture sector of our country. In Bangladesh, an agro based country, this sector contributes greatly to the overall development. Under this unit all sorts of information and consultations relating to agricultural activities are being disseminated. The total broadcast hour of such programmes from Bangladesh Betar is 290 minutes per day from all stations.

Population, Health & Nutrition Cell: The objectives of all programmes produced by this unit of Bangladesh Betar are resisting child-marriage, building up pubic opinion for getting married at a reasonable age, motivating people in favour of small family, eradicating all forms of superstitions, ensuring proper maternal and child care to control death rate of children and pregnant women, disseminating basic facts about health and nutrition. Per day Population, Health and Nutrition Cell are broadcasting 370 minutes of programmes through all the stations.

Liaison and Audience Research Sub-Unit: Main functions of the liaison and Audience Research sub-unit is to run audience research, to maintain liaison with foreign and domestic bodies on behalf of Bangladesh Betar, to help the Director General of Betar to review and give suggestion as and when required about any cultural pact signed or to be signed by our government. Besides this sub-unit also arranges training programmes and does everything required to send the employees of Bangladesh Betar for training both at home and abroad.

External Services: External Services of Bangladesh Betar broadcasts programme in six languages (Bangla, English, Urdu, Hindi, Nepal and Arabic) in nine transmissions for the listeners in foreign countries. The total duration of broadcast is 5 hours and 30 minutes per day. Its programme are projected to our country - its history, culture, tradition etc and international events relating to universal fraternity.

Audience Participation Programmes

With a view to communicating directly with the mass people beyond the four walls of the studios, Bangladesh Betar arranges out door programmes or Audience Participation programmes in different districts throughout the country. In those programmes, special emphasis is being given to the historic and cultural legacy of our country, making people pro-active towards the development activities, establishing woman and child rights and so on.

INFFORMATION RELATING PROGRAMMES

9. Informative Programmes :

Everyday 21 National News Bulletins are aired from the Dhaka station of Bangladesh Betar. Out of them 16 are in Bangla while the rest are in English. In addition every day a Bangla and an English News commentary is also broadcast to convey the listeners in-depth analysis of world spectrum. On Thursday night a weekly roundup is presented in Bangla. One local news bulletin, one also transmitted every day as well, Besides Dhaka five other stations namely – Chittagong, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet and Khulna also broadcast local news bulletin.

12. Religions Programmes :

a) Islamic programmes :
From Dhaka station 20 minutes national programme is broadcast every day, which other stations relay. In addition
each day every station broadcasts 5 minutes programme of their own.

b) Recitation from the Geeta :
3 day per week (Duration of each program is 5 minutes – Every station relays it)

c) Recitation from the Tripitok :

2 days every week (Duration of each program is 5 minutes-Every station relays it)

NEWS WING

Through the regional news agencies of Bangladesh Betar 10 Bangla News, 3 English News and 3 News in tribal languages are being broadcast every day.

ENGINEERING WING

Project under implementation : Project to set up a full – fiedged radio station in Bandarban and a broadcasting house in Comilla are being implemented in full swing. The outdated transmitters are being replaced by modern hi-tech transmitters in Shylhet, Rangpur and Chittagong stations.

Museum to commemorate the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra: A museum to commemorate the historic Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra has been established at the National Broadcasting House of Dhaka station. Here tokens of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra are preserved to pay tribute to their contributions in the war of liberation in 1971.

Total Transmission Power of Bangladesh Betar :

ADMINISTRATION/ FINANCE WING

Summery of the manpower strength of Bangladesh Betar is given bellow _

^{Revenue Income :}

Bangladesh Betar

www.Betar.org.bd

121, Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue

Shah Bagh, Dhaka-1000,

Bangladesh

email: dgbetar@bd.drik.net

          dgbetar@bttb.net.bd

Phone: 88-02-8615294