As in other sectors, the Chinese government will provide financial support to the country’s media sector, especially to the state-owned TV channel—Bangladesh Television (BTV)—to expand its activities.  New television stations would be set up to air news stories on the government’s development programmes and the country’s progress, with a view to generating awareness among the masses. The Chinese government has assured Dhaka it would provide Tk. 969.41 crore, out of a total of Tk. 1,499.06 crore, from the Exim Bank of China as a soft loan to establish five full-fledged television stations at Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet, Barisal and Khulna on a turnkey basis. Chinese state-owned organisations—Aerospace Long March International Trade Company Limited (ALIT) and Radio, Film and TV Design and Research Institute (DRFT) of China—will jointly build the TV stations. Bangladesh Television (BTV) will implement the project, titled ‘Establishment of five full-fledged TV stations of BTV’, to build the TV stations in the five areas to adopt the digital terrestrial television broadcasting (DTTT) system in accordance with the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU’s) guidelines.
BTV, ALIT and DRFT have signed a commercial agreement on November 11, 2015, to establish the five TV stations. The information ministry has already prepared a proposal to establish the five TV stations. It would be placed before the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which would be held soon. In the proposal, secretary of the information ministry, Mortuza Ahmed, said of the total amount of Tk. 1,499.06 crore, the Chinese government would provide Tk. 969.41 crore under buyers’ credit.
After obtaining the CCEA’s approval, a loan agreement would be signed between the financing organisation—the Exim Bank of China—and the Economic Relations Division (ERD), the proposal said. “The main objectives of the project are to disseminate the national policy to create awareness among the people and produce cultural, historic and entertaining programmes in the Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Rangpur and Barisal regions,” the proposal added.
BTV, the state-owned national TV station, began its operations in 1964. It airs news and entertainment programmes to ensure equitable dissemination of information among the masses and contribute to the nation’s socio-economic development. It telecasts various programmes, such as dramas, documentaries, musicals and educational and information programmes, including 14 news bulletins in English and Bangla, on a daily basis. BTV transmits 18 hours of programmes terrestrially and 24 hours through satellite everyday through a centre, a sub-centre, and 14 relay stations. BTV launched BTV World, a separate satellite-based channel, on April 11, 2004.