BBC Bangla in our grown-up time
Dr. Syed Nesar Ahmad Rumy :
It is almost 6 weeks over that we could not do listening BBC Bengali programs. On 31stDecember last BBC ended the Bengali programs through radio set. And that was the last day BBC Bangla radio program. A huge number of Bengali speaking people are definitely missing the programs and news of BBC Bangla service. The people of Bangladesh, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Jharkhand were the main listeners of BBC Bangla news contents and many other programs. Even the Bengali speaking people living across the world were also the listeners of BBC Bangla radio programs.
As we know BBC started its Bangla radio programs since early forties of 20th century and it continued its transmission till the last date of 2022 and that this 31st December 2022. This writer started listening BBC Bangla programs through radio set since 1969 and this is more than half a century. And BBC Bangla radio program had become a part of our daily life. So far I remember, in 1070 BBC Bangla program was only for 15 minutes in the evening and Kamol Bose, Sirajur Rahman, Shamol Lodh, Shafiq Rehman, Syed Shamsul Hoq were the main persons behind all the programs broadcasted in the then time.
It is true, in 1971 BBC news and different programs of Bangla service went to the peak of the momentum. People of the then time of Bangladesh and in west Bengal used to wait eagerly for BBC Bangla news and other programs. People in the villages and as well as in urban areas used to gather with a radio set to listen BBC Bangla news and news commentaries. People would not believe the news broadcasted by radio Pakistan. One day history will evaluate BBC’s contributions on our liberation war. Closure of BBC Bangla radio programs is definitely shocking to the huge number of Bangla speaking people in the world. This writer was a registered listener of BBC Bangla since 1972 and it continued up to end of nineties of last century. That time different programs’ guide were sent to this writer and in that way the writer got updated of different programs of BBC Bangla.
In our liberation war BBC Bangla news and news commentaries were so popular that a place where people used to gather listening BBC Bangla news and commentaries was named after BBC Bazar. And it is located in the Ishwardi area under district of Pabna. News published in the newspapers that people of that BBC Bazaar are very much shocked for the closure of BBC Bangla radio program. This is a smallpiece of news but the significance of that news is not small. How much people of that area and Bangla speaking peopleare fond of BBC Bangla news manifested by this situation.
16 December 71, 15 August 1975, 3-7 November, 29 May 1981, 24 March 1982, 6 December 1990, 21 August 2004, 28 October 2006, 11 January 2007 and many more are the turning points of our national history. BBC Bangla had drawn the attention of millions of audiences for their authentic news and news commentaries in those days. To speak the truth BBC Bangla was the main source of authentic radio news to the people of Bangladesh. The interviews of renowned persons of Bangladesh, India drew attention of the large number of people. And those audio records have become many sources of our national history. In this context, political leaders, litterateurs, cultural personalities’ interviews may be referred. Apart from this, BBC Bangla’s different news commentaries on many of our national events and issues were also very much popular and people used to trust on BBC’s news and commentaries.
In the cultural sector, BBC’s initiatives of broadcasting interviews of cultural personalities of Bangladesh and West Bengal attracted a huge number of listeners. Moreover, sports news was one of the priorities of BBC Bangla programs. Especially cricket and football used to get priorities in BBC broadcasting. Different interesting events of world cricket and football and commentaries by Boria Majumder ,Aghor Mondol, Jaci Islam attracted many people by their commentaries. Now many people miss the BBC news commentaries on those events. In 1971 BBC Bangla service program was very short. Earlier it was only 15 minutes but later it increased up to 30 minutes in the evening in the then time.
Another initiative of BBC Bangla was direct contact with the listeners. Sometimes Sirajur Rahman, program producer used to come to Dhaka and had direct conversationwith the some selected listeners. That was also a good initiative of BBC to make close affinity with the listeners. In some occasion this writer was also invited to attend that conversation.
Before closure of BBC Bangla transmission on 31st December 2022, it had only three times programs in a day. All these programs were very popular among the Bengali speaking people in the world. Since last two decades with the technological development BBC was stressing to broadcast their program through online. Maybe, it is less costly and this system does not require huge manpower and resources. For this shifting of technological development BBC has changed its transmission/broadcasting system. But we the Bangladeshi listeners are really missing BBC Bangla radio programs very much. Everyday some of us used to start our days listening BBC news and commentaries and going to sleep after listening ‘Parikkrama” days’ last program of BBC Bangla. These all are now past events of our life. Since our boyhood many of us were grown-up with listening BBC Bangla programs. Hope BBC Bangla will come soon with updated authentic news through updated technology available to the general people.
(The writer is former civil servant and freelancer).
