“Haven’t you watched Meena? You should respect your sister for what she does for our family” – I know that sentence has not only been uttered in my family but thousands of other families in Bangladesh as well. How deeply the cartoon has changed and improved our views on women’s rights is astonishing!
When pictures of scenes from The Adventures of Sindbad, Alif Laila, MacGyver, Robin Hood, and Hercules pop up on our Facebook walls, we instantly become nostalgic. The screenshots immediately recharge our memories. We go back to the days when we used to huddle up and sit down before a 14-inch black and white television to watch our favorite shows. We used to walk miles to watch television back then, but we don’t remember the troubles we faced. We only reminisce about the wonder, the fascination, the joy, the thrill!
Bangladesh Television (BTV) made all that possible. BTV started its broadcast on December 25, 1964 as Pakistan Television, being renamed Bangladesh Television after the nation’s independence. Bangladeshis had to wait until 1980 to be able to watch BTV on their colour screens, and then it went global and reached people overseas in 2004. The channel now transmits its programs through a centre, a sub-centre, and 14 relay stations covering about 97% of the country’s population.
Thanks to BTV, we have memories of the Bangladesh Cricket team’s glorious victory against Pakistan in 1999. BTV has been constantly showing our national team’s international matches live. Through BTV, Bangladesh Cricket team members reached the heart of every Bangladeshi cricket lovers.
Because of BTV, every year Bangladesh has found its talented youths. Before the dawn of any corporate talent shows, BTV opened its doors for hundreds of young talented Bangladeshis with its program Notun Kuri (a national cultural talent hunt show).
Each Friday used to be the day when we had to sit with the family and the neighbours to watch the weekly movie. During commercial breaks, our parents and neighbours would open up their bags of dialogues. It was not too long ago when someone had to go out and move the bamboo pole on which the tv antenna was fixed to catch the satellite signals.
The Friday neighbours would again arrive during nights after the news in Bangla at 8 0’ clock. Such social engagement had profoundly influenced us. We may not have realised how BTV had helped us bond with our neighbours and families. This is sadly noticeable today as most of us rarely care to watch television with our families. And as for neighbours, none of us even bother.
After watching each episode of Ittyadi (a popular magazine show hosted by Hanif Sanket), everyone used to realise about the oddities around them in society. We seemed to start noticing things that we had never considered before. Though we passed the hours with laughter, and sometimes sadness, we always knew that we had learned something, and we were inspired to do something.
Fazle Lohani’s Jodi Kichu Mone Na Koren, Rezaul Karim Siddique and Shykh Seraj’s Mati O Manush, are programs for which this generation feels proud. We can never forget Bohubrihi, Kothao Keu Nei, Shongshoptok, Aj Robibar – the television dramas which are embedded in our souls.
BTV has always been telecasting programs for the betterment of all Bangladeshis. Educational programs for children such as Meena and Sisimpur, drama series that highlight gender inequalities, maternal health issues, and raise public awareness regarding child marriage, have been helping Bangladesh in its growth and development.
On December 25, 2014, Bangladesh Television is observed its golden jubilee. We hope BTV will always be with us, delivering such entertainment and information to the mainstream, uninterrupted by any political forces.