Bangladesh Betar (BB) is the national public radio broadcaster in Bangladesh. The outlet operated under the name Radio Bangladesh from 1975 to 1996. The broadcaster’s history dates back to 1936, when the station commenced broadcasting in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, as part of All India Radio.
Media assets
Radio: Bangladesh Betar Radio
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
BB is a wholly government-owned enterprise, with its management team appointed by the government. In September 2020, the government appointed Hosne Ara Talukdar as the new Director General of Bangladesh Betar, according to information released by the Information Ministry.
Source of funding and budget
BB has been the recipient of government subsidies for an extended period. BB is directly accountable to the Ministry of Information, which is the station’s budget holder.
In the 2018-2019 fiscal year, BB received a state subsidy of BDT 2.5bn (US$ 30.5m), which represented the largest part of the broadcaster’s budget, according to the broadcaster’s annual reports. No additional recent data have been identified.
Editorial independence
BB is a state-controlled media outlet, operating in line with the editorial guidelines set forth by the government.
To date, no domestic statute and no independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate BB’s editorial independence has been identified.
Following the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina on August 6, 2024, a series of media reforms are underway in Bangladesh. Among the reforms is a proposal to regrant editorial independence to the country’s state media. In September 2024, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam announced the formation of a reform commission to oversee the implementation of new policies aimed at freeing the Bangladesh media from state control.
September 2024