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Letter to the Director General of the
BBC protesting the proposed closure of BBC Bangla
service and the response dt 3-11-22
Dr. Hasanat M. Husain MBE, President, Voice for Global Bangladeshis, VfGB. 3 Nov. 2022 Sent: Thursday, 3
November 2022, 13:50:00 GMT Subject: RE: Letter to the DG of the BBC regarding proposed
closure of BBC Bangla service Dear Dr. Husain, Thank you for your kind note and the good wishes to the BBC. I
am responding on behalf of the Director-General Tim Davie. We recognise
that the role of the World Service is more important than ever.
However, the way that audiences consume our services is changing. The proposed
changes announced in September aim to future proof the World Service by
creating a digital-first organisation. They are
also a response to financial pressures faced by the BBC. These challenges
required us to review all of our output and consider how we best serve
audiences going forward. We are proud of the work of the BBC Bangla
service. The team will indeed be moving to Dhaka so it can be closer to the
audiences that it has served so well for years. We will also retain the TV
bulletin in Bengali which continues to reach significant audiences in the
region. However, radio usage is now static or declining around the world
as audiences increasingly turn to digital services. We have therefore
proposed to stop radio broadcasts in order to invest in meeting the needs of
the growing digital audience. We believe these changes will help the
service maintain its relevance and importance in the region. Thank you again for writing to us. I hope you feel reassured of
the BBC’s commitment to Bengali speaking audiences. Kind regards, Liliane Liliane Landor |
Senior Controller, International Services Director, World Service BBC News and Current Affairs
.................................................................................................................................. The Letter to the DG of the BBC protesting the proposed
closure of BBC Bangla service To Mr. Tim Davie CBE The Director
General, BBC, BBC Broadcasting
House, Peel Wing, Portland
Place, London W1A 1AA 23-10-2022 Dear Mr. Davie, Sub. : Letter to the DG of the BBC regarding proposed closure
of BBC Bangla service We, Voice for Global Bangladeshis (VfGB),
are a neutral and independent non-governmental organisation
with an objective to promote human rights and advance Social-economic
conditions of over 13 million NRBs (Non Resident Bangladeshi expatriates)
worldwide; in a peaceful, just and fair world. We would like to
take this opportunity to congratulate the British Broadcasting Corp. marking
100 years of broadcasting since 18 October 1922. Growing onto world’s largest, BBC’s
service to mankind had been remarkable. The BBC World Service continued to provide current affairs and
information and analyses in more than 28 languages across 150 capital cities
and is trusted by millions as being fair and impartial – an achievement which
can be summed up as simply outstanding. Amongst organising and planning to
celebrate its centenary, the BBC has also announced that it is proposing to
discontinue its radio broadcast in Bangla. This also includes 9 other languages
mainly to save money. Bangla being
the 6th largest linguistic group in the world,
we believe, millions will be deprived from BBC’s Bangla
service. We in Voice for Global Bangladeshis would like to propose
shifting BBC Bangla Service to Dhaka, the capital
city of Bangladesh. This will be like moving production closer to its
audience and may save BBC some serious money and yet, help retain its
neutrality and impartiality in providing information and news to where these
are unfortunately absent. If you are willing to consider this, we in VfGB
can also approach the Bangladesh Government to come forward to provide you
the necessary logistics. Please advise. We shall wait to hear from you. Thanking you. Respectfully yours, Hasanat Husain Dr. Hasanat Husain MBE On behalf of Voice for Global Bangladeshis VfGB. Former Head of Bilingualism and Bilingual Support Service, Directorate of Education, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, UK. |
