Community radio to help curb graft

The community radio would help increase accountability of local administration and reduce corruption and poverty from the society, speakers said at a roundtable yesterday.
It could also play a role in establishing good governance, they added.
They were addressing a roundtable titled 'Community radio in Bangladesh - Building bridges between government, civil society and community, policy to strategy and action plan' at a city convention centre.
Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad in his speech as the chief guest said the government has issued licence to 14 organisations to operate community radio in the country about four months ago.
He hoped that the community radio would help develop the socio-economic condition of the rural people.
Stressing the need of community radio, he said, “The government will be able to know the demands of people through the radio.”
Private media does not reach the people in remote areas, he said, adding that the community radio will help end the sufferings of the people.
Azad asked the newly licensed community radios to start their operations effectively.
Chief Executive Officer of Rights and Media for People Masuda Bhatti said the newly licenced organisations are yet to practise coordination, communication and exchange of information among themselves.