Monday, August 07, 2006

Bangladesh Betar to expand shortwave capacity


BANGLADESH Bangladesh Betar to set up 1000-kilowatt capacity transmitter in Dhamrai soon.

A 1000-kilowatt capacity tx will be set up at Dhamrai soon at a cost of Taka 650 million (65 crore) aiming at further strengthening the transmissions of Bangladesh Betar.

This was stated by Information Minister M Shamsul Islam who was the chief guest while inaugurating a 100-kilowatt short-wave transmitter here.

The information minister said the people of the country would be able to change their fortune if it is possible to reach accurate and objective information to them as information is considered as a vital force of democracy as well as development.

Presided over by Director General of Bangladesh Betar AFM Matiur Rahman, the function was addressed, among others, by Information Secretary Muhammad Haidar Ali and Chief Engineer of Bangladesh Betar Delip Kumar Saha.

Describing Betar as a powerful mass medium, Sahmsul Islam said still Betar is the most effective medium to reach information to people from all walks of life, specially those who are living in the rural areas. "Betar can play an important role in building a developed nation by airing different development programmes on family planning and use of modern technologies in agriculture to increase agri-products," he said.

Recalling the past glory of Betar, he said this state-owned organisation became an inseparable part of our history by playing an important role during the country's War of Independence.

The information minister said President Ziaur Rahman had guided the nation by proclaiming the independence of the country from Kalurghat Betar station, Chittagong during the country's War of Independence in 1971.

He said the govt has liberalised the txion policy, as it believes in people's rights to know. This liberalisation policy has helped create positive competitiveness among the transmitting media, he added.

The information secretary termed the information technology (IT) is an important thing in the present era of globalisation.

We have to go forward with expertise in this regard to achieve the millennium development goals, he added, With the launching of this 100- kilowatt short-wave transmission, the listeners of Bangladesh Betar living abroad would be able to listen its programmes clearly.

Via http://www.financialexpress-bd.com
(Swopan Chakroborty-IND, wwdxc BC-DX July 14/WWDXC-Top News)

The prospect of hearing Bangladesh more clearly is encouraging. At present they are broadcasting in English as:
UTC
as - Asia eu - Europe
1230-1300 7185as
1745-1800 7185eu
1800-1815 7185eu
1815-1900 7185eu
(Source: G. Van Horn/Monitoring Times)