Television of a lifetime

Continued from Vol 01 Issue 01
Magazines are full of television news. Daily schedule of the TV programs are there – mixed with reviews and commentaries. In media, news of movie is losing importance to its smaller version. This phenomena is not only in Bangladesh, it is there; everywhere. Though cinema has its own glory. The grandeur of celluloid is never fading away to tape. There are many talented and creative work is being done on celluloid. But, we must admit that television's favor is everywhere.
The first television viewers of the sub-continent are the people of Dhaka. 25 December, 1964 was the official inauguration of then Pakistan Television. The journey started from DIT (RAJUK Bhaban) office.
Jamil Chowdhury, one of the pioneers to bring Television to Bangladesh proposed to Pakistan government to start television even well before that date. Pakistan government snubbed Jamil Chowdhury's proposal saying, “The proposal to start a commercial television in Dhaka – a city with only two Chinese restaurants: one in Motijheel and the other in Gulistan. There are only three neon signs: in Victoria Park, in DIT building and in Gulistan. And, there are only three traffic signal lights in whole of the city: in Pakmotor (now Banglamotor), Gulistan roundabout and at Palashi roundabout in Azimpur. One traffic police used to sit on an elevated wooden box and control the lights. It must be mentioned that during the landing on moon, police was controlling traffic using a tin pipe in front of USIS (United States Information Services) in Shegunbagicha.
It was unimaginable to have commercial television – a modern technological mass media service in Dhaka – a city of such dire condition. Even so, after much persuasion of Jamil Chowdhury, a temporary office was set up in Shiddeshwari (first digital Bangla channel, channel i started from the same area). Then, the search for a tall building began to set up antenna. It was DIT office that had the tallest building in Dhaka – its peak reached at 142 feet. Bottom floor of the building was the office of WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority). Chairman of DIT was GM Madani and DK Pawar was of WAPDA.

To be continued…
The writer is General Manager of Channel i
 Translated by Zia Nazmul Islam