Community Radio received 7 out of 12 prizes in Radio Category of UNICEF Meena Media Award 2016. Five Community radio stations in rural Bangladesh received 7 awards in radio category in Meena Media Award-2016 for their outstanding contribution in innovation in media and protection of child rights in the year 2015.

As in every year, UNICEF Bangladesh has organized this competition to encourage the journalists and broadcasters to highlight the child rights issues in media. A total of 48 media professionals have been honored for their outstanding contribution in championing the rights of the children. 

This year, the 12^th Meena Media Award has been announced on 09 October 2016 at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel. Hon’ble Minister for Ministry of Information H E Mr. Hasanul Haq Inu, MP and Mr. Dzidula Masiku on behalf of UNICEF Bangladesh handed over the crest, award money and certificate to the winners.

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) actively works to improve recognition of the community electronic media sector [Community Radio | Community TV | Community Film] & its work in and involvement with the communities it seeks to serve from 2000 with support from Free Press Unlimited(FPU).

The first, second and third award recipients of each category and age-groups received BDT 50,000(US $ 600), BDT 25,000(US$300) and BDT 15,000 (US$190) in cash prizes respectively in addition to a crest. The five community radio stations received BDT 1,60,000 (US$ 1952 ) in cash altogether.

The winning stations are:  Community Radio Pollikontha 99.2, Community Radio Borendra 99.2, Community Radio Bikrampur 99.2, and Community Radio Jhenuk 99.2 FM and Community Radio Chilmari.

Responding to the call of UNICEF-Bangladesh earlier Community radio stations of the country participated and submitted their radio programs in the competition under two categories –below and above 18 years of age. These programs reflected important issues like child education, present situation of female child and the children from horijon/dalites community, child marriage/early marriage, evolution of  children organizations, child marriage in Dalit community, suicide of children, negligence of girl child in the community, life-threatening livelihood of child labors, drug addiction and its effects on family and society.

Out of these submissions, 07 have received the final award.

Dividing into “Creative” and “Reporting” categories within 02 age groups below and above 18 years, entries have been sought from print, online, television and radio under specific age groups.

The final awardees are as follows:

Innovation and creative category (below 18 years): 1^st prize: Md. Kamaruzzaman, Community Radio Pollikontha 99.2. Second Prize: Sharan Majumda, Community Radio Borendra 99.2,Third Prize: Sumi Akter, Community Radio Bikrampur 99.2.They received all three top awards by contesting government, private and international broadcasters. 

Innovation and creative category (above 18 years): 3rd prize: Sutapa Rani Pal, Community Radio Pollikontha 99.2 fm. The contestants from Government broadcasting- Bangladesh Betar and Private FM ABC Radio received the 1^st and 2^nd prize respectively in this category.

News Report/Investigative Reporting category (below 18 years): 1^st and 2^nd prize: Shajedul Islam and Tajmin Rashid Taj from Community Radio Jhenuk 99.2. The third winner was one contestant from private FM Asian Radio.

News Report/Investigative Reporting category (above 18 years) : 3rd prize: Polash Mahmud from Community Radio Chilmari 99.2 fm. The 1^st and second prize were won by the participants from Radio Today and International broadcaster BBC Bangla.   

The award nominees were selected by a panel of judges through a competitive process from print, on-line and broadcast media. Broadly divided into “Creative” and “Journalistic” categories, entries have been sought from print, online, television and radio under specific age groups.

An eleven member expert panel of judges comprising of creative writers, veteran media professionals, and academics assessed each entry which included – Selina Hossain, Shahnoor Wahid, Robaet Ferdous, Fahmidul Haque, Zakir Hossain Raju, Qadir Kollol, Ratan Paul, Mithila Farzana, Rafiqur Rahman, Jannatul Mawa and Abu Naser Siddique.

For selection in Radio category, the judges were Qadir Kallol (BBC), Ratan Paul(Dhani Chitra Media Ltd.) and Mithila Farzana (Ekattar TV).

It can be mentioned that four community radio stations in the country received 13 awards in radio category in Meena Media Award -2015 for their contribution to innovation in media and protection of child rights in the year 2014.

BNNRC has been encouraging and mobilize the stations and facilitating them for submission of their programs in the Meena Media Award. Now 17 Community Radio Stations are on-air in the country, aiming to ensure empowerment and right to information for the rural community. They are broadcasting altogether 135 hours program per day on information, education, local entertainment and development motivation activities. Around 1000 Youth Women & Youth are now working with those stations throughout the country as rural broadcasters within 6.18 million rural people in 115 upazillas under 29 districts.

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