Interview of USA Legislative Fellows 31 January 2012
Mr. Joseph M. CICERO, JR. Mayor, City of Lyndhurst, State of Ohio, Mr. John CHANDLER, Principle Consultant, Committee on Agriculture, California State Senate, Sacramento, California, Mr. Josh HOXIE , Legislative Correspondent/ Staff Assistant, Office of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Washington, DC, Mr. Jack MASON, Senior Budget and Performance Analyst, Legislative Budget Board, Austin, Texas Mr. Neil WAGGONER, Legislative Aide, Office of Representative Lorraine M. Fende, Ohio House of Representatives, Columbus, Ohio , Mr. Vladimir Spenser , Astt. Director, World Learning , Washington DC and Mr. Jamil Ahmed , Chief Executive Officer of JATRI visited Radio SAGOR GIRI Station during their visit to Chittagong on american week 2012. Radio SAGOR GIRI broadcast interview of USA Legislative Fellows on 31 January 2012.
As part of addressing the risk of Cyclone Mahasen, Six Community Radio Stations in coastal region of Bangladesh have broadcasted 514 hours program for 5 days continuously from May 11 to May16.
The stations included: Community Radio Nalta 99.2 (Satkhira), Community Radio Sundarban 99.2(Koyra,Khulna), Community Radio Lokobetar 99.2 (Barguna Sadar) , Community Rural Radio Krishi Radio 98.8 (Amtali,Barguna), Community Radio Naf 99.2 (Coxesbazar,Tekhnaf) and Radio Sagargiri 99.2 (Sitakunda,Chittagong)
A total of 391 staffs and volunteers and more than 20,000 listeners’ club members were involved constantly in disseminating disaster preparedness message and information to the local community. They updated and informed the cyclone situation at a regular frequency. Read more »
Cyclone Mahasen is moving towards the coastal areas of the Bangladesh from over southeast Bay and adjoining southwest Bay and might hit Bangladesh any time on Wednesday. It was centered about 1,080 kms south southwest of Chittagong port, 1,015 kms south southwest of Cox’s Bazar port and 970 kms south southwest of Mongla port on May 14. Maximum sustained wind speed within 54 kms of the storm centre is about 62 kph rising to 88 kph in gusts/ squalls. Sea will remain very rough near the storm centre.
Community radio RADIO SAGOR GIRI-FM99.2 broadcasting bulletin on the direction of cyclone ‘Mahasen’ in every half an hour in local languages. It broadcasting special bulletins repeatedly and draw the attention of all to prepare for facing “Mahasen”, so that community can be able to take initiatives in advance and thus the damage can be reduced.
Radio Sagor Giri and Sitakund Press Club jointly organized a seminar at YPSA HRDC Sitakund on 3 May to mark the World Press Freedom Day 2013. WPFD 2013 focused on the theme of “Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media”. A free, independent and pluralistic media environment, online and offline, must be one in which journalists, media workers, and social media producers can work safely and independently without the fear of being threatened or even killed. It needs to be an environment where attacks, intimidations, harassments, abductions, arbitrary imprisonments, and threats are the exceptions and not the norm. Read more »
Radio Sagor Giri FM 99.2 organized a two-day training workshop on production development for the community volunteers at YPSA HRDC Campus, Sitakund on April 25, 2013 with the support of Actionaid Bangladesh. 16 community volunteers attended the workshop for building their capacity of preparing news, program format, program schedule, connecting community people, collecting Information from the field etc.
Radio Sagor Giri FM 99.2 celebrated it’s 1st founding anniversary at YPSA HRDC, Sitakund campus on 24 March 2013. Mr. Muhammad Shahin Imran, UNO of Sitakund cut a cake to inaugurate the anniversary celebration. Mr. Sumsuddin Bhuyan Tutul, President, YPSA and Md. Mahbubar Rahman, Director (Social Development) spoke in the program.
Chief guest Mr. Shahin Imaran said, “Information is power. Radio Sagor Giri is disseminating information to the grassroots people properly. In the previous year, it broadcasted various awareness based programs on child health, reproductive health, women’s rights, education etc. Those were satisfying and effective.”
With the theme “Radio for Everyone! Everywhere! Every time!” Radio Sagor Giri FM 99.2 and Bangladesh Betar, Chittagong jointly organized rally and discussion meeting to mark the World Radio Day 2013 in Chittagong on 13 February. The rally was led by Ms. Sayada Shammi Akhter, regional director, Bangladesh Betar, Mr. Munir Hossain, Sub-regional Director, Bangladesh Betar and Shah Sultan Shamim, Station Manager, Radio Sagor Giri. Sagor Giri also organized rally and discussion meeting at Sitakund on the same day. Read more »
“The Ministry will form a Review Committee soon which will check the constraints, challenges and way forward of current Community Radio stations of the country and take up some measures to facilitate them for smooth running.” This was told by Mr.Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, ndc, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Information & Chairperson, Community Radio Related National Regulatory Committee while speaking in an opinion sharing meeting with representatives from 14 community radio stations of the country on February 10, 2013 at PIB Auditorium in Dhaka. Read more »
Sagor Giri is the first community radio in Chittagong where 30 boys and girls work as the community volunteer. Some youths got involved in reporting, some in presenting or broadcasting etc. All of them are student. They work here to create awareness within the community besides their study.
Nitol Borua, a community volunteer said, “Community radio makes programs in some core concepts like education, recreation, information and motivation. Students and teachers from different schools and colleges attend the educational programs. Listener participation are ensured in the recreational program. Every Friday “Friends flock and Song” is arranged which is very popular to the listeners where listeners directly participate through the phone and SMS. They shared their untold stories with their friends. To raise awareness, we provide information on various issues like health, environment, violence against woman, dowry, early marriage etc.”
Station manager Mr. Shah Sultan Shamim said, “Sagor Giri is the platform where volunteers can develop their skills and render their creativities. Volunteers hope that they will work here permanently after completing their study. They also hope that they can establish themselves in the media sector gaining the experience from here”.
Radio Sagor Giri FM 99.2 arranged radio listeners quiz competition through SMS in Sitakund. 24 competitors have been selected and awarded at YPSA HRDC Sitakund on 29 November. Md. Arifur Rahman, Chief Executive of YPSA, Md. Shamsuddin Bhuyan Tutul, President of Executive Committee, YPSA, Mr. Hafizur Rahman, Upazila Education officer, Mr. Suranjon Mandal, Manager, Ansar VDP Bank, Mr. Liton Kumar Chowdhury, Journalist, Sitakund were present in the prize distribution ceremony.
The Affiliated Network for Social Accountability, South Asia region (ANSA-SAR) is now using community radio to raise public awareness on the budgeting process. Community radio has become an important vehicle to reach remote areas of Bangladesh and ANSA-SAR is working with Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) to create and broadcast these programs on the budgeting process so that citizens are sensitized to participate in different stages of the process. Read more »
Mr. Joseph M. CICERO, JR. Mayor, City of Lyndhurst, State of Ohio, Mr. John CHANDLER, Principle Consultant, Committee on Agriculture, California State Senate, Sacramento, California, Mr. Josh HOXIE , Legislative Correspondent/ Staff Assistant, Office of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Washington, DC, Mr. Jack MASON, Senior Budget and Performance Analyst, Legislative Budget Board, Austin, Texas Mr. Neil WAGGONER, Legislative Aide, Office of Representative Lorraine M. Fende, Ohio House of Representatives, Columbus, Ohio , Mr. Vladimir Spenser , Astt. Director, World Learning , Washington DC and Mr. Jamil Ahmed , Chief Executive Officer of JATRI visited Radio SAGOR GIRI Station during their visit to Chittagong on american week 2012. Radio SAGOR GIRI broadcast interview of USA Legislative Fellows on 31 January 2012.
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