Brief Profile

Bangladesh NGOs Network forRadio and Communication (BNNRC) www.bnnrc.net ceo@bnnrc.net

1. Introduction
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) is a changed name of Bangladesh Coastal NGO Network for Radio and Communication (BCNNRC). BNNRCwas established in April 2000 as per Article 19 charter of UN bill of rights and registered astrust in the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. BNNRC is in NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council from 2010 BNNRC has been struggling for the last 12 years to open up the community media (including Community Radio, Community Television and Community film) and giving focus on its vital role as voices of the voiceless people. BNNRC has been addressing the community radio & community TV access issue for over a decade, almost since its emergence in the year 2000. The reality of today is that the bondage between the community people and local-level community radio stations are getting strengthened day-by-day. Community Radio has now become their part of life. Community Radio becomes the instrument for the livelihood battle of the rural people. BNNRC established the Community Media News Agency (CMNA), Community Media Academy (CMA) and Monthly Community Media to share development news & building capacity for the Community Media sector in Bangladesh.

Now 14 Community Radio Stations are on-air in the country, aiming to ensure empowerment and right to information for the rural community. They are broadcasting altogether 120 hours program per day on information, education, local entertainment and development motivation activities. Around 536 Youth Women & Youth are now working with those Stations throughout the country as rural broadcasters.

2. Legal status
BNNRC is registered with NGO Affairs Bureau, Office of the Prime Minister's, Government of Bangladesh according to the foreign donation (Voluntary Activities) regulation ordinance 1978 as a National Network.

3. Vision, Mission & Strategy of the Network

Communication is not a privilege it has become a basic human rights. Vision of the network is BNNRC do like to see the rural people has the easy, quick and lowcost access to global communication so that they are enriched and updated by knowledge. Mission of the network is BNNRC trust will organize strategically important activities, studies, advocacies so that the population of the rural areas will have easy, manageable andlow cost communication facilities. BNNRC has been undertaking pioneer approaches to integrate ICT and Community Mediafor Development, Knowledge Management, Policy advocacy for good governance, people'sright in country and global commons and poverty alleviation at the grassroots through its networking NGO/CSOs in Bangladesh BNNRC's outreach extends to local, national and international forums for communicating Knowledge for Development (KM4D). In this backdrop, communication is recognized as an essential human need and, therefore, as a basic human right.

Our working strategies are:

Communicating on the Public Sphere: The role of communication and media in exercising Democratic political participation in society Communicating Knowledge: The terms and means by which knowledge generated bysociety is communicated, or blocked, for use by different groups Civil Rights in Communication: The exercise of civil rights relating to the processes of communication in society & Cultural Rights in Communication: The communication of diverse cultures, cultural forms and identities at the individual and social levels.

4. BNNRC Strives for

BNNRC now strives for the following core interventions to contribute in achieving 6th five Years Plan, UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through:

Right to Information for ensuring improved livelihood of the marginalized ICT for Development for Bridging the Digital Divide in rural areas & Community Radio/Community TV for amplifying voices for the voiceless Amateur Radio for Disaster Risk Reduction

5. International Membership & Affiliation

Asia Pacific Institute of Broadcasting Development (AIBD) Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU) Community Media Forum- Europe The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) World Association for Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) Commonwealth Human Rights Network Asian South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education Freedom of Information Advocate (FOIA Network) Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS)

6. Strategic Relations
Bangladesh Betar(Radio) National Institute of Mass Communication Bangladesh Press Institute International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Information Commission, Bangladesh Ministry of Information Ministry of Science and ICT Ministry of Post and Telecommunication Commonwealth Broadcasting Association

7. Members of The Board of Trust

The Board of Trustee (BoT) is the highest policy making body of the network. Sl Name Position Professional Position 1 2 3 4 5 Mr. Md. Rafiqul Alam Chairperson Executive Director Dwip Unnayan Sangstha Executive Director BRIDGE Executive Director COAST Trust Executive Director YPSA Executive Director, Sangkalpa Trust

Mr. Md. Zahurul Haque Bali Vice Chairperson Vice Mr. Rezaul Karim Chairperson Chowdhury- S21K Treasurer Mr. Md. Arifur RahmanS21AV Mirza Shahidul Islam Khaled Trustee

Mr. AHM. Shamsul Islam Dipu-S21AQ Mr. Md. Ziaul Ahsan Mr. S M Nazer Hossain Mr. AHM Bazlur RahmanS21BR

Trustee

Executive Team Manager SPEED Trust Executive Director PGUS Executive Director ISDE BANGLADESH Chief Executive Officer Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication

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Trustee Trustee Founder Secretary & CEO

8. BNNRC is in Government Committees

Founder member of Bangladesh Working Group on UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) headed by Bangladesh Government Member of Community Radio Related Central Monitoring Committee, Ministry of Information

9. Current Staffs Members of the Network

Founder member of Bangladesh UN Internet Governance Forum headed by Bangladesh Government Sl 1 Name AHM Bazlur Rahman Kamaruzzaman 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Mark Manosh Shaha Ms. Tamanna Rahman Syed Kamrul Hassan Mohammad Seraj Uddin Rahmat Ullah Syeda Amena Akter Zahidul H Khan Moni Day Nimai Sen Designation Chief Executive Officer Project Coordinator Project Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator- KM4D Coordinator- Finance & Admin Coordinator- Online Accounts Officer Program Officer Office Assistant Office Assistant Sex Male Male Male Female Male Male Male Female Male Female Male

10. Activities Performed by the Organization

Project Name Promoting appropriate technologies &policies to uphold the value ICT asbasic human rights. Access to information for better 2 participation and Government accountability Community Radio Initiative in 3 Bangladesh 1 4 Building Capacity of Community Radio Personnel 5 Capacity Building of Community Personal in Bangladesh 6 Access to information for greater Participation and government accountability 7 Strengthening Community Radio Preparedness in Bangladesh 8 Capacity Building of the CommunityRadio initiators 9 An Assessment of Community Radio in Bangladesh 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 Participation for Conference, 2004 Radio and MDG AMARC AP Development Partners CORDAIDNetherlands Article 19 Duration April 2005 July 2008 October 2007 to August 2010 February 2009 to August, 2009 August 2009 to July 2010 April' 2010December'2010 9 months September'2007 - August' 2010 May'2010December'2010 January' 2010August' 2010 8 months 28 March' 2010-25 March' 2010 2004 2008

Free Voice IPDC- UNESCO UNESCO India (IPDC) Article 19, DFID

Free Voice

CIDA Bangladesh

USAID / PROGATI Project CIDA Bangladesh DFID Bangladesh

Awareness of Community Radio Building Capacity of Community radio

1 Radio Program for YOUTH 4

UNESCO 2008 Bangladesh Commonwealth of 2007 Learning (COL) CEMCA, India and Bangladesh Open University Equal Access, 2010 Nepal British Council, Bangladesh

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Participation for AMARC AP Conference Participation for AMARC AP Conference Strengthening Community Radio

UNICEF Bangladesh UNESCO Bangladesh USAID / PROGATI Project UNICEF Bangladesh Equal Access & British Council

2010 2010 August '2010May'2011 September 2010-December 2011 July 2010 October 2011

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20 21

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Empowering Communities: Strengthening and Building Capacity of the Community Radio in Bangladesh Skill for Employability Central Southern Asia Youth Radio Programs Through Radio Programme in Bangladesh for achieving Digital Bangladesh Strengthening BNNRC for Community Media Enhancing Rural Communication Services for Agricultural Development through Community Rural Radio (CRR) Media Law Workshop in Bangladesh

Free Frees Un Limited FAO

Inter News Network UNESCO- IPDC

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Capacity Building of Community Radio Personal in Bangladesh Girl Power Project

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Plan Bangladesh

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Strengthening BNNRC and Mobilizing Community for Community Media

Free Frees Un Limited

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A Disaster Resilient Future: Mobilizing communities and institutions for effectiverisk reduction. Small Scale Funding for consultation with Radio Listeners Groups and the Community (to finalize the Radio Listeners Club Guideline). Pioneering, Connecting Empowering Voices for Change and

Action Aid Bangladesh

June 2011December 2011 December 2010-December 2011 November 2011- February 2012 December 2010-December 2011 July 2011December 2015 (On going) January December 2012 (On-going) 2015 February 2012June 2012

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UNICEF Bangladesh

26 June 201231 July 2012

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EU- Free Frees Un Limited

February 2013 To 2014 On going

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Basic English Language for Outreach Radio Audience in Bangladesh

American Center & US States Department

October 2102 -On-going

11. Publications Major

Policy Advocacy Plan for Community Radio in Bangladesh 1998 Handbook on Airwaves 2005 Community Radio Handbook 1st and 2nd Edition 2008 Community Radio Monitoring Handbook 2010 Need Assessment of Community Radio 2011 Community Radio in Bangladesh: Achievement and Challenge- Recent Experience 201 Community Radio Baseline Survey 2008 Community Radio Directory Guide book of Community Radio in Disaster Risk Reduction 2012 Community Radio Atlas Community Media Bi-monthly News Letter 12.

Annual Turnover of BNNRC

Year 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Amount (BDT) 2,93,36,712 1,15,00,000 2,41,45,505 85,43,109 22,78,132 30,34,865 32,02,405 38,65,200 10,32,292 8,67,098

Contact:

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR Chief Executive Officer Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication House: 13/3 Road: 2 Shamoli, Dhaka 1207 Phone: 9130750, 9138501, 01711 881647 Fax: 9138501-105, E-Mail: ceo@bnnrc.net bnnrcbd@gmail.com www.bnnrc.net