Community Radio
Strengthening Hatiya Island community for pioneering-connecting and empowering their Voice for Change
Bangladesh Government has already acknowledged the importance of community radio and announced the Community Radio Installation, Broadcast & Operation Policy. Bangladesh is the 2nd country in South Asia in formulating policy for Community Radio. Meanwhile, Govt. has approved and provided license to Dwip Unnayan Songstha to install a Community Radio in the island of Hatiya in the name and style ‘’Radio Sagor Dwip’’.
To address the social issues like poverty reduction and social exclusion at the community level, empower marginalized rural groups in disaster management and catalyze democratic processes including ongoing social development efforts, DUS has initiated Radio Sagor Dwip project in collaboration with JICA & BHN-Association Japan from 2014 to 2017.
Bangladesh Government has already acknowledged the importance of community radio and announced the Community Radio Installation, Broadcast & Operation Policy. Bangladesh is the 2nd country in South Asia in formulating policy for Community Radio. Meanwhile, Govt. has approved and provided license to Dwip Unnayan Songstha to install a Community Radio in the island of Hatiya in the name and style ‘’Radio Sagor Dwip’’.
To address the social issues like poverty reduction and social exclusion at the community level, empower marginalized rural groups in disaster management and catalyze democratic processes including ongoing social development efforts, DUS has initiated Radio Sagor Dwip project in collaboration with JICA & BHN-Association Japan from 2014 to 2017.
Hatiya Island is well known as a Cyclone High Risk Area. Every year the island suffers by tropical cyclones and their incidental high-tides, especially in the low line areas. However, at the time of imminent disaster, the most important disaster information and warnings are delivered by volunteers mobilization since the days of ‘70s. Being delivered by human power, its distribution areas and information accuracies are limited as per today’s need. Also following after the cyclone warnings dissemination some part of the islanders won’t move to evacuate due to the lack of appropriate information and communication. DUS believes that only Community Radio can collect the accurate weather forecast and disaster related information quickly and accurately from different sources and can disseminate the same effectively at community level. As such as per demand of Hatiya Island community Radio Sagor Dwip has set up in the premises of Dwip unnayan songstha with an aim to effective disaster risk reduction practice and capacity building of the vulnerable communities of Hatiya Island to combat any disaster situations in coming days.
As of today Community Radio are widely recognized by Governments. International development agencies and civil society organizations alike as key agents of participatory development. Their reach and practices are a unique way of reaching and involving people. This is particularly true of community radio, the most prevalent of all community media, which is a vital alternative both to state owned and commercial private radio. Community radio’s affordability and reach make it a powerful agent of social change. As such the community Radios are becoming an active ground for organizing dialogues at rural level. These dialogues will help the rural mass to find out their own voice and ensure leverage their free opinion in respect of social, economic, political, cultural and environmental issues as per today’s scale.
Radio Sagor Dwip is the first mass media which is going to be initiated and run by the Hatiya Islanders. This radio is committed to disseminate information on education, economic development , disaster risk reduction, safety net service, entertainment and other related all indigenous issues of the island community that will help them to build up knowledge base society in coming days.
Radio Sagor Dwip will also be active to create opportunities of different groups of its stockholders including youths and children and different section of people to express their opinion to take in participatory decision especially to ensure their access to, use and exchange of information’s.
Radio Sagor Dwip is committed to contribute in creating an enrich society by enhancing resources and increasing capacities of Island household for elimination of their poverty and contributing towards establishment of peace and prosperity.