Gazi Sharmeen Ahmed, popularly known as RJ Sharmeen, has been a prominent name in the FM radio stations in Bangladesh. Aired on ABC Radio 89.2FM, her two shows Premrog and Kuasha, has been extremely popular among radio listeners for quite a while. The hype even elevated after the launch of two books on the respective shows, with the titles “Premrog” and “Kuasha 2.”
RJ Sharmeen, the producer of the two shows and editor of the books, was interviewed in connection to the publications, the journey of ABC Radio, and her views over the FM radio industry as one of the senior members of the industry.
What are Kuasha and Premrog about?
Kuasha is all about mystery and horror fictions. I have a pool of script writers for this show who write short mystery and horror fictions, which I act out in the last hour of the show. Aa array of sound effects are used in this segment as the stories can only be heard. Hence, I try to make it as imaginable as possible for the listeners. In the first half, I read out any classic detective or crime novel. The popular stories comprise those of Sherlock Holmes, Byomkesh Bakshi, Satyajiy Ray and Humayun Ahmed’s Misir Ali. The aim of this segment is to trigger curiosity among listeners and inspire them to read the books, as the habit of reading is gradually fading away. So no songs or texts are included during this show.
On the other hand, Premrog is a complete packages of comedy where there is a character called Bishwapremik (BP). BP is a boy from Old Dhaka who cannot speak in fluent English and converses with a new girl every other week. We engage in a funny chat on the show and mostly talk about the different components of Old Dhaka, BP’s changing love affairs etc. Our relationship is like Tom and Jerry. In between our conversation, catchy tunes like hip hop tracks are played. Both the shows are aired at 12am for two hours. Kuasha is aired on Mondays, while Premrog is aired on Saturdays.
Kuasha was published last year while this year Student Ways, the publishing house, has brought “Kuasha 2” along with “Premrog.” It was written by Sudip De which compiles the stories in which I and my co-anchor BP talk it out during the show. It is a compilation of the episodes of Premrog, while “Kuasha 2” is a compilation of the horror and mystery fictions written by my pool of script writers.
Till now, the response is amazing and, beyond my expectations. I have been to the fair on three separate days so far, and was showered by the readers’ affection. “Kuasha” was one of the bestsellers at Amar Ekushey Boi Mela last year.
Since its inception, much changes have been evident in the content and style of ABC Radio broadcasts. Any comments?
Life is all about experimentation. You start something new and see how it goes, and then you make changes according to your necessities. We have done the same. In the beginning, we were a news-based station. Our intention was to keep our tone serious. We used Bangla terms like “kothabondhu,” “muthhophone,” and “khudebarta.” Gradually with time, we shifted to a more entertainment-based tone, while our style changed accordingly. Now we focus on the youth listeners with shows like, The HK (Hridoy Khan) Show, Hot Box with Rafa and Hang Out with Linkon.
You had been involved with the FM radio industry for around seven years now. Where do you see it going?
I see it going on a positive route. You will see that nowadays, most of our time are spent on streets. When we are driving, between meetings and classes, stuck in traffic; there are few ways to entertain yourself other than the FM radio channels. This becomes the only medium to remove boredom. Most people cannot watch TV when they are stuck inside a vehicle, but at least they can listen to the radio. Hence, FM radio channels are seemingly becoming more and more popular, more than any other medium of entertainment in Bangladesh.
