Khulna: A century has passed but the Prime Minister’s promise to fully operate the Bangladesh Television (BTV) broadcasting center in Khulna has not been implemented. On March 5, 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the full launch of the Khulna Television Broadcasting Center in addition to announcing the implementation of other development activities in a public meeting at the Khalishpur Prabhati School premises in Khulna.
Even after 12 years passed, the broadcasting station was not fully operational.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the past days. When Hasan Mahmud visited Khulna, Khulna Cultural Development Committee issued a memorandum to Circuit House demanding the opening of a full-fledged television center in Khulna. Minister of Information and Broadcasting in 2021. Hasan Mahmud came to Khulna in the conference room of the district administration and said in the chief guest’s speech at the check distribution ceremony from the Prime Minister’s Journalist Fund that BTV will be fully operational in Khulna before the elections. Besides, various social and cultural organizations of Khulna drew the attention of the government by providing several human chains and memorial letters demanding the opening of a full-fledged television center, but nothing was done.
Khulna’s cultural activists and organizers believe that Khulna’s cultural activists and organizers will bring great changes in the field of life and livelihood including literature and culture, business and commerce if the full-fledged broadcasting center is launched.
Although all the necessary preparations including infrastructure development, installation of modern studios and various equipments have been completed, the BTV broadcasting process has not been fully started from Khulna. Despite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s promise, the anger held in the hearts of the people of Khulna and the southwestern region is increasing day by day as the center has not been opened.
The cultural activists demanded the BTV authorities to take full preparations for the inauguration of the full-fledged television center in Khulna during the Prime Minister’s visit to Khulna on November 13 (Monday). Or in the speech of the chief guest at the Awami League public meeting at Khulna Circuit House Maidan on that day, there should be an instruction to start the BTV broadcasting process in full.
Swapan Guha, convener of Khulna Cultural Development Committee, told BanglaNews that the demand for setting up a full-fledged television center in Khulna has been going on for a long time. It is not a demand for taking any additional benefits for the people of the south-western part of the country. It is a national requirement. There is a television sub-centre in Khalishpur from where programs are broadcast. Later an infrastructure was built there to set up a television station. Equipment for building a studio is also installed. Two cameras and panel boards have been moved from there.
He also said that at that time Bangladesh Television Director General M Hamid had built BTV studio in Khulna on his own initiative. After the studio was built, the inauguration was awaited. There were some broadcasts from that studio. We broadcast various cultural programs to test. They were done in the presence of the Divisional Commissioner, DC who was then present. Preparations were made in such a way that a date would be fixed and the inauguration would take place. Then when it was seen that the inauguration was not being done, Director General M Hamid’s duty ended, the work done by those who came after that is very sad. He took the camera from the studio. After reporting the matter to the Divisional Commissioner, he duly wrote a letter. It was then informed that they have been taken for some programs on BTV Outdoor and will be sent again.
Swapan Guha said that the project of broadcasting center of BTV was given in Khulna. The project has been approved but the work on that project has not yet started. Whenever we talk about Khulna center it is said that the new project will be done soon. Those who are in our leadership do not talk much about it. I will try to present the matter during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Khulna.
Poet and textile artist Kamrul Kajol said that the demand for setting up a full-fledged television center in Khulna is not being fulfilled in any way. BTV’s Khulna center will play an important role in the history, tradition and cultural development of the southern region. If the Prime Minister wants, there will be a full-fledged television center in Khulna. Therefore, he sought the cooperation of the Prime Minister regarding the launch of Khulna center of BTV.
General Secretary of Abbas Uddin Academy Enamul Haque Bachchu told Banglanews that Khulna Television Center is a long-standing demand of the people of Khulna. With which the overall development of Khulna is involved. Khulna Television Center can play a great role in the expansion of beautiful art, literature, culture, journalism and above all education. The people of Khulna do not know why it has not started even today despite having all kinds of infrastructural and other facilities in Khulna and why it stopped coming on air once all the things were completed. Since there is a lot of work ahead, this time I request the Prime Minister to start the full-fledged television center in Khulna immediately to keep the pace of overall development of Khulna region.
Begum Shahina Akhtar, Deputy Assistant Engineer of BTV’s Khulna sub-centre, told BanglaNews that the project to launch a full-fledged Khulna center of BTV has been approved by Ekne.
It should be mentioned that two-storey building, 500 feet high tower and 1 transmitter with high power were installed on 5.66 acres of land in Khalishpur of Khulna city. In 1976, experimental broadcasts started from here. This sub-centre was officially inaugurated on March 11, 1977. The transmission range of this substation is 80 aeronautical kilometers through a 10 kW transmitter. At present, there are several officers and employees including sub-assistant engineer, engineering manager, administrative officer, security guard.
Bangladesh Time: 1500 hours, November 07, 2023
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