Handbook on Community Radio: Voices for the Voiceless of Rural People Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), since its inception, has been advocating with the government and with other organizations for the promotion of Community Radio to address critical social issues at community level, such as poverty and social exclusion, empowerment of marginalized rural groups and catalyze democratic process in decision making and ongoing development efforts. Community Radio is going to make an important place in development field in Bangladesh. Ministry of Information has approved 14 Community Radio in Bangladesh on 22 April, 2010. Now total 14 Community Radio Stations are going to On Air first time in Bangladesh. Initially government approved 14 Initiators like Young Power in Action(YPSA) for Sitakunda, Chittagong, Nalta Community Hospital for Satkhira, LDRO for Bogra, BRAC for- Moulivi Bazer, Barandro Community Radio for -Naogaon, Proyas for -Chapai Nababgonj, CCD for - Rajshahi, Srizoni for - Jhinaidhah, EC Bangladesh for - Munsihigonj, MMC for - Barguna and RDRS for- Kurigram, Sundarban Community Radio for Koyra(Khulna), ACLAB for - Telnaf (Cox's Bazer) and Agriculture Information Services(AIS) for - Community Rural Radio for Amtoli (Barguna) Under this circumstance, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) has taken initiative of publishing a Handbook on Community Radio: Voices for the Voiceless of Rural People with the support from Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to meet the basic needs and demands of the community radio initiators, regulators, managers, community leaders and community broadcasters in respect to setting up and operating the community radio stations successfully in Bangladesh. In the meantime, Community Radio Academy has been established by Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) with the view to building up capacity on community radio operation of the initiators. Under the initiatives of the academy, training workshops, round table, seminar etc are being organized incessantly. This handbook will be a good compilation of all necessary chapters and key aspects of community radio operation mechanism. With the help of this Community Radio Handbook, Community Radio stakeholders will have knowledge of technical and management skills come to know about the function, management, procedure, prospect, sustainability, working environment, interest issues, culture, socio-economic status, challenges and difficulties of running Community Radio and have all concerned resources and facilities available for their progress and success. Besides, from this handbook, a reader will also get better understanding of the relevance of community radio in poor communities; the broad applicability of community radio to a range of sectoral activities such as MDG, PRS, WSIS action Plan, health, rights, education, livelihoods, and conflict prevention; the need to deepen the capacity of community radio broadcasters at all levels to conduct effective monitoring and evaluation. This handbook will be helpful for long-term preservation and sharing as a guide with the concerned policy makers, donor agencies, regulatory, technical and monitoring committee members, local administration, parliamentarian, upa zila chairman, deputy commissioner (DC), upazila nirbahi officers (UNO), officials of the local intelligence wings and law enforcing agencies, local government and people working in this field for nation building process at different level. Bazlu _________________________ AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR Chief Executive Officer Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) [NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council] & Head, Community Radio Academy House: 13/1, Road: 2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207 Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501 Cell: 01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105 E-mail: [log in to unmask] www.bnnrc.net