UNB, Dhaka :
Outlining her government’s plan to expand BTV through setting up stations at the division level, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday said the present government does not want to see the national television as its mouthpiece.
“We want to see BTV as a national TV, not the government’s mouthpiece… we also want BTV to expand its programmes and activities alongside expanding the fields of education and entertainment,” she said.
Hasina was addressing the inauguration of the Golden Jubilee celebration programme of BTV on its premises in the city’s Rampura area in the afternoon.
The Prime Minister hoped that the state-run TV would air more pleasant programmes maintaining its rich tradition, upholding the country’s culture, tradition, history and the Liberation War spirit.
Hasina suggested the BTV high-ups to create scopes for utilising the talents remained spread across the country.
She said, her government has a plan to set up TV stations in each division which will be implemented gradually.
Highlighting her government’s various steps for developing the state-run television station, Hasina said the BTV will have to stay afloat competing with other private channels.
As the national TV, Hasina said, BTV has many responsibilities
like airing educational programmes alongside entertainment ones.
She noted that the BTV has been playing an important role in agricultural development, spreading education, population control, raising health awareness, empowerment of women, curbing child marriage, tree plantation, protecting environment, creating social mass awareness and broadcasting various development programmes.
“The question of profit or loss doesn’t come in this regard. The issue is to create mass awareness and expand the scope for socioeconomic development of the country’s people apart from providing entertainment,” she added.
Stating that private satellite channels can contribute much more towards flourishing the country’s culture alongside creating more employment opportunities, Hasina said BTV can no longer lag behind in this regard. “We’ve already taken various steps to turn BTV into modern and technology-based one.”
She suggested that BTV in partnership with Sangsad Television can televise social reform and educational programmes when there is no parliament session.
Recalling the killings of four BTV officials-M Monirul Alam, Mohammad Akmal Khan, AFM Siddiq and Firoz Kaiyyum Chowdhury-on November 7, 1975 for broadcasting pro-liberation war spirit programmes, Hasina said she has no word to denounce such killings hoping that such kind of incident would not reoccur in independent Bangladesh in the future.
Presided over by Information Secretary Mortuza Ahmad, the function was addressed, among others, by Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, Prime Minister’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Ministry AKM Rahmatullah, first Director General of BTV Jamil Chowdhury and first singer of BTV Ferdousi Rahman.
BTV Director General Abdul Mannan delivered the welcome address.
Earlier, on her arrival at the BTV premises, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Golden Jubilee Celebration Programme through releasing pigeons and balloons. She also inaugurated the newly constructed 12-storey BTV headquarters building. Sheikh Hasina also released a commemorative stamp and unveiled the cover of two publications on BTV’s golden jubilee celebration- ‘Subarna Smarak’ and ‘Suborno Darpan’.
Outlining her government’s plan to expand BTV through setting up stations at the division level, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday said the present government does not want to see the national television as its mouthpiece.
“We want to see BTV as a national TV, not the government’s mouthpiece… we also want BTV to expand its programmes and activities alongside expanding the fields of education and entertainment,” she said.
Hasina was addressing the inauguration of the Golden Jubilee celebration programme of BTV on its premises in the city’s Rampura area in the afternoon.
The Prime Minister hoped that the state-run TV would air more pleasant programmes maintaining its rich tradition, upholding the country’s culture, tradition, history and the Liberation War spirit.
Hasina suggested the BTV high-ups to create scopes for utilising the talents remained spread across the country.
She said, her government has a plan to set up TV stations in each division which will be implemented gradually.
Highlighting her government’s various steps for developing the state-run television station, Hasina said the BTV will have to stay afloat competing with other private channels.
As the national TV, Hasina said, BTV has many responsibilities
like airing educational programmes alongside entertainment ones.
She noted that the BTV has been playing an important role in agricultural development, spreading education, population control, raising health awareness, empowerment of women, curbing child marriage, tree plantation, protecting environment, creating social mass awareness and broadcasting various development programmes.
“The question of profit or loss doesn’t come in this regard. The issue is to create mass awareness and expand the scope for socioeconomic development of the country’s people apart from providing entertainment,” she added.
Stating that private satellite channels can contribute much more towards flourishing the country’s culture alongside creating more employment opportunities, Hasina said BTV can no longer lag behind in this regard. “We’ve already taken various steps to turn BTV into modern and technology-based one.”
She suggested that BTV in partnership with Sangsad Television can televise social reform and educational programmes when there is no parliament session.
Recalling the killings of four BTV officials-M Monirul Alam, Mohammad Akmal Khan, AFM Siddiq and Firoz Kaiyyum Chowdhury-on November 7, 1975 for broadcasting pro-liberation war spirit programmes, Hasina said she has no word to denounce such killings hoping that such kind of incident would not reoccur in independent Bangladesh in the future.
Presided over by Information Secretary Mortuza Ahmad, the function was addressed, among others, by Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, Prime Minister’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Ministry AKM Rahmatullah, first Director General of BTV Jamil Chowdhury and first singer of BTV Ferdousi Rahman.
BTV Director General Abdul Mannan delivered the welcome address.
Earlier, on her arrival at the BTV premises, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Golden Jubilee Celebration Programme through releasing pigeons and balloons. She also inaugurated the newly constructed 12-storey BTV headquarters building. Sheikh Hasina also released a commemorative stamp and unveiled the cover of two publications on BTV’s golden jubilee celebration- ‘Subarna Smarak’ and ‘Suborno Darpan’.
