UNDP, in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and the European Union, is implementing the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh Phase 3 (AVCB) project to expand access to local justice for rural, poor, and vulnerable communities. Working with the Local Government Division (LGD) and the Bangladesh Community Radio Association (BCRA), the initiative supports the activation of village courts across the country, excluding the three Hill Districts.

Background of Community Radio: 19 community radio stations are broadcasting across hard-to-reach and coastal areas of Bangladesh, reaching over 8.23 million people, with 40-45% of the audience tuning in. Programs are developed in local languages, addressing community needs and national priorities. Managed by local youth, women, and social activists, these stations are vital platforms for inclusive communication. The Bangladesh Community Radio Association (BCRA) is the national coordinating body working to strengthen the community radio sector through advocacy, capacity building, networking, and partnerships with government, donors, and experts.

The specific objectives of this Project: The project aims to enhance the responsiveness of local authorities to justice needs by ensuring well-functioning village courts. It also empowers local people, especially women, the poor, and vulnerable groups-to seek justice and resolve disputes locally in a timely, transparent, and affordable way through 15 community radio stations across various districts.
The following activities are being conducted by each radio station to achieve the project goals:
2 radio dramas
1 jingle
1 public service announcement (PSA)

Area of Coverage: Under this program, 15 community radio stations are actively broadcasting in 15 districts across Bangladesh, focusing on raising awareness about local justice and the role of village courts. These stations serve as vital communication platforms in rural and remote areas, helping to bridge the information gap by delivering localized, culturally relevant content in local languages.

Results of the Project:
Awareness Raising: The project was effective in raising awareness about women’s rights and the role of Village Courts, particularly for marginalized women. It helped the participants gain a better understanding of how these courts operate and the services they can provide.
Engagement with Experts: The inclusion of experts such as District Managers, Union Parishad members, and social activists added credibility to the discussions and provided valuable insights that resonated with the audience.

Community Participation: The programs reached a significant audience, estimated at 1 million people, covering diverse groups including women, youth, indigenous communities, local leaders, and NGO representatives. This broad coverage indicates strong community engagement.
Inspiration from Personal Stories: A female panelist sharing real-life experiences greatly inspired the audience, making the discussions more relatable and impactful.
Informative Content: The topics discussed were relevant and informative, contributing to the broader goal of promoting gender equality and community justice.

Conclusion: The phone-in live programs hosted by 15 community radios have played a pivotal role in promoting awareness about Village Courts and empowering women, thereby contributing to gender inclusion in the justice system. By leveraging community radio’s unique reach, the AVCB project underscores the importance of accessible dialogue surrounding local justice. Continuous efforts to enhance participation, improve awareness, and streamline operations would be beneficial in furthering the objectives of the AVCB and achieving a more just and equitable society for all.

E-Learning Platform Link: https://lnkd.in/giyk6qJF

The BCRA Secretariat attended the “Second Partnership Dialogue on Early Warning and Disaster Prevention,” jointly organized by Bangladesh Television and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) at the Bangladesh Television Headquarters in Dhaka. BCRA highlighted how community radios have been playing a vital role in emergency early warning dissemination, as well as during and post-disaster responses, in the coastal belt and all over the country. As Cyclone Remal hit Bangladesh, all nine coastal radio stations relentlessly broadcasted programs and supported people by providing information about cyclone shelters for people and cattle, and available emergency life-saving services offered by the government and other humanitarian organizations.

Mr. Humayun Kabir Khondokar, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Mr. Netai Chandra Dey Sarker, Director, Department of Disaster Management, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief; Mr. Muhammad Abul Kalam Mollik, Meteorologist, Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Ministry of Defense; Ms. Syeda Tasmina Ahmed, Deputy Director General (News), Bangladesh Television, Ms. Natalia Ilieva, ABU Advisor External Projects, Global Manager WBU/UNDRR Media Saving Lives initiative, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union-ABU, Mr. Syed Tarikul Islam, General Secretary, BCRA and CEO of Radio Naf, Ms. Sumita Rabidas, Cordinator, BCRA and a representative of Bangladesh Betar were present in the dialogue.

On 20th May, BCRA and Radio Pollikontho were pleased and honored to have been visited by very high-profile representatives from Telenor, Grameenphone, Plan International Norway, and Bangladesh. During the visit, BCRA highlighted how community radios are creating a remarkable impact on indigenous people, tea garden workers, marginalized communities, and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh. The project is about “Digital Inclusion: Safe Digital Space for Girls and Youth,” which has been coordinated by the Bangladesh Community Radio Association (BCRA) since November 2023, with eight community radios. The initiative aims to raise mass awareness about responsible behavior on online, online safety, combating cyber bullying, harassment, online scams, misinformation, and fake news.

During the visit, Mr. Sajjad Hasib, Chief Marketing Officer at Grameenphone, Rasna Hasan, Head of Strategic Projects and Partnerships at Grameenphone, and a radio listener named Argho participated in a phone-in live show.
Johan Martin, Director and Head of Sustainability at Telenor; Manisha Dogra, Head of External Relations and Acting Head of Governance and Sustainability in Group Sustainability at Telenor; Sharfuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Head of Communication at Grameenphone, Kabita Bose, Country Director of Plan International Bangladesh; Alexandra Letelier, Advisor- YEE and Digital at Plan International Norway; Rasel Mia, Manager at Plan International Bangladesh, Mehedi Hasan, Senior Station Manager, Radio Pollikontho, Sumita Rabidas, Coordinator, BCRA and others respective colleagues were also present.

Mr. Syed Tarikul Islam shared the activities Community Radios have been doing for ages i.e. climate change adaptation and disaster response, prevention of child marriage, agriculture, combating misinformation, disinformation and fake news, safe internet usage, human rights, women rights, rights of the indigenous people. Moreover, participation and engagement of listener group members in the radio program production and broadcasting was also discussed with importance. 

“MOCHA”, a very severe cyclonic storm is hit on 14th May 2023 (9am-6pm) over the central and southeast Bay of Bengal especially in the Cox’s Bazar region. The 8 Community Radios which are located in coastal line areas were well prepared to face the Cyclone MOCHA. The most impacted areas were Teknaf, Ukhiya and Saintmartin of Cox’s Bazar District. Radio NAF 99.2 FM (located in very south part of Bangladesh) has faced the imminent threat of this very severe cyclonic storm MOCHA, which is make landfall within our coverage area.

These 8 Community Radios have been broadcasting emergency life-saving messages for preparedness and raising awareness which covers 4.2Million listeners. Community Radio has also been playing an important role by doing off -Air programs i.e. early warning community miking, courtyard meeting for mass awareness that created immense positive impact with zero casualty. BCRA has been coordinating with Bangladesh MD Office, Bangladesh Betar, local govt., administration and different development partners and supporting all of the Community Radios in Coastal line by sharing updated information. In order to ensure the safety of all of the CRs staff, listeners, and the community we have developed an action plan to effectively respond to this emergency situation. The 8 Community Radios are Radio Naf (Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar and coverage Teknaf, Ukhiya, Saintmartin), Radio Saikat (Cox’s Sadar), Radio Meghna (Char Fashion, Bhola), Radio Sagor Giri (Sitakunda, Chattogram), Radio Sagor Dwip (Hatiya, Noakhali), Radio Nalta (Kaliganj, Satkhira). Radio Lokobetar (Barguna), Radio Krishi (Barguna).

Situation Analysis:

All the 8 CRs stay informed about the latest updates on MOCHA through Bangladesh Betar (Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar and regional Broadcasting center), BMD, BCRA, local govt. & Upazila Administration, local authorities, and disaster management agencies especially with BDRCS to understand the potential impact of the storm. Community Radios and BCRA Management organized an emergency preparedness meeting and took some action to effectively response to pre – during – post cyclone response.

Radio Station infrastructure: None of the Community Radios damaged. Tower and infrastructure are good in position.

Localities situation: Around 2500 households destroyed in Cox’s Bazar District. Rest of the districts have experienced less.

Emergency Response Team:

Each of the 8 Radios established an emergency response team comprising key personnel from Radio, including management, journalists, Broadcaster, technical staff, and support personnel which will lead by the Station Manager and Bangladesh Community Radio Association (BCRA).
Leave of all staff in each 8 radio had been postponed, so all staff will be available to provide non-stop service
A representative of each radio was posted in different shelter center with mobile and internet connection to collect the update information and broadcast live e alert and staying all time in mobile net connection.

Communication:

As per the instruction from Bangladesh Betar Cox’s Bazar and Dhaka, BCRA, CRs started the relay of Bangladesh Betar Dhaka 693 KHZ since 12th May 2023.
All the 8 CRs started standby for 24-hour broadcasting since 13th May 2023 when BMD declared the danger signal no 08 to inform the people about the direction of the cyclone and its intensification.
Maintain regular communication channels with the emergency response team of Upazila administration, Bangladesh Betar and BCRA.
Ensure the backup power supplies for ensuring the uninterrupted broadcasting pre-during and post cyclone period. Among 9 CRs Radio NAF 99.2 FM contributed taka 10K for emergency fuel purchases to Upailza Nirbahi office (UNO) Teknaf.

Early Warning System:

CRs already started broadcasting of early warning messages for the community including Rohingya communities of Cox’s Bazar.
Live Phone in program was broadcasted with the participation of Govt. Officials and representative, BDRCS and continued re-broadcast during the cyclone period.
CRs has been working closely with BMD, upazila administration, BDRCS and BCRA to disseminate timely and accurate weather warnings to the public.
CRs started the megaphone messaging and loudspeaker messaging through volunteers and with the CPP team
Volunteers working with the listeners club to ensure the community get the access of right messages in right time.

Broadcast Plan:

Each radios formed internal response team for airing radio program and off line response. The internal team worked shifting basis during the pre-during-post cyclone period.
Developed pre-recorded public service announcements (PSAs) with safety instructions, emergency contact numbers, and shelter information will continuously broadcast during the cyclone period.
Ensured backup power sources, including generators and batteries, to maintain uninterrupted broadcasting during power outages.

Social Media Update:

1. https://www.facebook.com/radionaf

2. Statement from Teknaf UNO to Radio NAF 99.2 FM: https://fb.watch/kubFhPrAnW/

3. Teknaf Upazila Chairman: https://fb.watch/kwi5mE4hHM/?mibextid=ZbWKwL

4. Awareness on landslide: https://www.facebook.com/618972091862376/posts/pfbid07Phb8iD9ra4c2X8ZJ2Eor2Urvhw2YqSm 84HrQmpeQrkzjt2MJs6DgHz6fjzmpTLml/?mibextid=ZbWKwL

5. Megaphone messaging: https://www.facebook.com/618972091862376/posts/pfbid028cFSPeWVzLppa1fGMoKLxX5T152nT TH3vKrsaibBWCtE2bQnZdeHsKLfADnK4p41l/?mibextid=ZbWKwL

6. Interview from camp In charge on the initiative for the Rohingya FDMN. https://fb.watch/kwi6sVomaw/?mibextid=ZbWKwL

7. Interview from cpp teknaf: https://fb.watch/kwibtuGUKk/?mibextid=NnVzG8

8. Emergency preparedness meeting:

https://www.facebook.com/618972091862376/posts/pfbid02jAajZyX8X3u5WrAbgc3NsNZodD7SrL yjiJ7HR1mNPHRDCPPiZ51WTAYoRtbGQ6nYl/?mibextid=ZbWKwL

9. https://www.facebook.com/100064560077648/videos/566685575610093 (Live update of Cyclone of Mocha by Radio Sagor Dwip, Hatiya Island)

10. https://www.facebook.com/SagorGiriFm992/videos/968021810898168 (Preparedness live airing by Radio Sagor Giri, Chattogram)

11. https://web.facebook.com/radiosaikat/?_rdc=1&_rdr

12. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02yG2CAedWtH1EVqrVSNQKuGiejUZYsRpSr3eVAVhZ7dCCGmR5YqJprZCmwmzg5wSKl&id=100032459846502&mibextid=Nif5oz

13. https://fb.watch/kxUPEuYQN5/?mibextid=Nif5oz

14. Live phone in on cyclone MOCHA: https://www.facebook.com/radionaf/videos/1343448409769943/?mibextid=NnVzG8

15. Interview from NGO representative: https://fb.watch/kwij_zAhni/?mibextid=ZbWKwL

16. National Media Coverage of Radio NAF 99.2 FM Action: https://fb.watch/kubOnrhgEy/National Media Coverage of Radio NAF 99.2 FM Action: https://fb.watch/kwh- lAxExw/?mibextid=NnVzG8