The government of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, took numerous initiatives to improve communication in the country. Bangladesh, which gained independence in 1971, was a new and developing country with a lot of challenges in terms of infrastructure, including communication.
One of the first initiatives taken by the government was to establish the Bangladesh Telecommunication Authority (BTA) in 1975. The BTA was created to regulate and improve the telecommunication sector in the country. It helped to develop the country’s telephone network, and by 1979, Bangladesh had around 100,000 telephone lines in service.
The government also recognized the importance of the media in disseminating information and shaping public opinion. In 1972, the government passed the Bangladesh Press Institute Act, which aimed to promote responsible journalism and provide training to journalists. The Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the national news agency, was also established in 1972 to provide news to both national and international media outlets.
In addition, the government took several steps to improve broadcasting in the country. The Bangladesh Betar, the national radio station, was established in 1971, and by 1979, it had 12 regional stations broadcasting in various languages. The government also established the Bangladesh Television (BTV) in 1972, which was the first television channel in the country. BTV provided news, education, and entertainment programming to the people of Bangladesh.
The government also recognized the importance of postal services in the country. The Bangladesh Post Office was restructured in 1972 to provide better postal services, and by 1979, there were around 3,000 post offices across the country. The government also introduced a postal savings scheme to encourage savings among the people.
In conclusion, the government of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took various initiatives to improve communication in Bangladesh. These initiatives helped to develop the telecommunication sector, promote responsible journalism, and improve broadcasting and postal services in the country. Today, Bangladesh has a thriving media industry and a modern communication infrastructure that has facilitated economic growth and social development.
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