Mass Media and Newspapers

Lesson 2/63 min

Radio, community radio and information law

The road of radio

When	What
1939 (16 December)	Radio broadcasting starts from Dhaka, then called All India Radio, Dhaka
26 March 1971	The first broadcast of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra from Kalurghat, Chattogram
After independence	It is named Bangladesh Betar; headquarters at Agargaon, Dhaka

Watch out: A past question printed Shahbag as the Betar headquarters; the text of both books says Agargaon. Remember Agargaon from the text.

Private and FM radio

First private radio: Radio Metrowave (1999), not on FM
First private FM radio: Radio Today (2006)
FM = Frequency Modulation; Radio Foorti is an FM band station (September 2006)

Watch out: The two books give different answers (Radio Today / Radio Metrowave) because one is FM and the other is not. Check whether the question says “FM”.

Community radio

A station set up in a particular area, run by its people and broadcasting in the local language
First community radio: Radio Padma, Rajshahi; started on 7 October 2011

Information law and ministry

Item	Detail
Right to Information Act	Passed on 29 March 2009 (asked in the 43rd BCS)
Current name of the ministry	Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; newspapers are registered at the Department of Films and Publications under it
Digital Security Act	Enacted in 2018; replaced by the Cyber Security Act 2023, which was repealed by an ordinance in May 2025

Did you know?: The mass media is called the fourth pillar (Fourth Estate) of the state.

Check yourself

Which was the first community radio?

At a glance

1
Radio broadcasting began in Dhaka in 1939; the first Swadhin Bangla Betar broadcast was on 26 March 1971 at Kalurghat.
2
The headquarters of Bangladesh Betar is at Agargaon, Dhaka.
3
The first private FM radio was Radio Today (2006); FM stands for Frequency Modulation.
4
The first community radio was Radio Padma (7 October 2011).
5
The Right to Information Act was passed on 29 March 2009.