Last updated March 2005
Printable versionBBC Bengali
BBC Bengali has been broadcasting to
Bengali speakers for more than 60 years.
It secured a special place with Bengali listeners during
the liberation struggle of Bangladesh in 1971, and continued to earn
respect through coverage of important global events in Bangladesh, South
Asia and across the world.
Today, BBC Bengali has over 10 million listeners in
Bangladesh and over a million in India.
The service broadcasts news, current affairs, sports,
science, business, cultural features and English learning programmes
three times a day on a mixture of short wave and FM frequencies.
Audio can also be heard online at bbcbengali.com.
BBC Bengali has 20 staff based in the UK and Bangladesh.
The London-based team are supported by a global network of BBC correspondents
and journalists in key cities across the world including Dhaka, Kolkata
and New Delhi. All contribute to the news content and features on air
and online.
BBC Bengali regularly works closely with other BBC departments
and external organisations.
In 2003, it teamed up with the BBC World Service Trust,
a registered charity established by the BBC World Service in 1999 to
alleviate poverty in the developing world through the innovative use
of media. They worked together to raise awareness and public understanding
of basic work principles.
The 'Rights At Work' series of programmes, broadcast
on BBC Bengali, ended with a major drama and debate event in Dhaka.
BBC Bengali broadcasts start with a daily news bulletin
at the top of each hour.
It is followed, on Mondays, by the science programme
Bigyaner Asar and
on Tuesdays and Wednesdays by Listeners'
Letters, Pritibhajoneshu
and an English teaching programme.
On Thursdays, the current affairs magazine programme
Bishesh Pratibedan
is broadcast.
On the last Thursday of each month, there is a special
programme called E Masher Bitorko,
which encourages listener participation. It specialises in interactive
debates on current issues, through letters and emails, with experts
in the studio.
On Fridays, it is the turn of the documentary series
Dharabahik, and on Saturdays people making the news
are interviewed in Sanglap,
while Babsa O Orthoniti
features interviews on major economic issues.
On Sundays, listeners can catch up with the latest Arts
and cultural news.
BBC Bengali can be heard at the Bangladesh Standard
times of 6.30am, 7.30pm and 10.30pm; and the Indian standard times of
6.00am, 7.00pm and 10.00pm.
