Plans to shut down the BBC World Service’s Bangla division, FM100 on the radio, were on for a while but finally has become a reality. It will not continue beyond Feb-March next year.
What became the “Voice” of the media in many Bangladesh minds will shut down. All media forms and content will be amalgamated and BBC online will be the new heir of the legacy and task.
BBC was always the most important radio service to Bangladeshis even before 1971 but during the war of liberation it became the Voice which everyone listened to wherever radio was. While Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro was representative of the Bangladesh movement, BBC provided accurate news and international support. It signified the global nature and support of the Bangladesh war. And it found a place in the heart that remains.
Its Dhaka correspondent Nizamuddin Ahmed was picked up on December 12 by the Al-Badr and never heard from again. He remains one of the great symbols of courage and dedication even in times of war.
BBC after 1971
It was after 1971 under an independent flag that saw the reputation of the BBC grow. Its great advantage was the problematic relationship the Bangladesh state has had with the media. More the media felt under pressure, the more the BBC’s freedom to report grew. And the hunger for information was satisfied by the BBC broadcast mostly and other foreign outlets.
There were certain circumstances which made this possible. It was an external outlet located in London. The state/government had no control over what was broadcast. And even in the UK, the Government had no official control either. BBC was funded by license fees making it independent of funding. The funding situation has changed now and it’s this lack of resources along with the decline of radio as a medium for content providing that has pushed BBC to make such a tough decision to shut down several language services.
BBC has had some sterling members who are fondly remembered. Among them two stand out, one is Mark Tully and the other is Ataus Samad. Both became symbols of the BBC and Mark Tully who also covered the 1971 from Kolkata is remembered with respect and affection.
Ataus Samad was the Bangladesh correspondent of the BBC from the 80s onwards and became one of the most authentic pilgrims of the profession. He was so meticulous about his accuracy that he would almost be late sometimes because he would not send his report unless he was absolutely sure. Its stars like him who contributed so much to make BBC what it became.
In-depth content
What also signified BBC radio in Bangladesh were its regular series produced on various topics including 1971 history. I produced 3 series on 1971 history– women in 1971, children in 1971, and a mega series on 1971history – apart from many short series , reports and discussions. The information collected to do this work is of great assistance to general research on the topic. But other series reports on sexuality, elderly, child labour, etc were path breaking products in Bangladesh media. BBC did lead in this sector too.
All good things do come to an end when the time comes and the wheels of change will bring forth new media forms and content and are welcomed. But the memory of BBC Bangla radio will live on. Good-bye.
Source: United News of Bangladesh
How much prize money will be on offer at the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia?
The International Cricket Council on Friday (September 30) revealed the prize money for the Twenty20 World Cup 2022. A total of 5.6 million US dollars in prize money has been allotted for the mega event by the ICC, where the winner will pocket 1.6 million US dollars. Let’s take a look at how the prize money will be distributed in the 2022 ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2022: Prize money
The allocation of the prize money for the eighth edition of the Twenty20 World Cup has not changed. The same amount of money was provided by the ICC for the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. Five and a half million US dollars will be spent over the course of the month-long competition, with the winning team receiving more than 30% of the total. In addition, the runner-up team would get 800,000 USD.
The semifinalists will also earn a good amount of money. Both the semifinal losing teams will get 400 thousand US dollars each.
There will be a total of 30 matches in the Super 12 round and a handsome sum of money has been allotted for the winning team of these fixtures. The winners of the Super 12 phase games will receive 40,000 dollars. A total of 1,200,000 US dollars will be given to the winning teams of the Super 12s. The eight teams who will be knocked out in this round will receive 70,000 US dollars each.
Before the Super 12 phase begins on October 22, there will be a first round from October 16 to October 21. A good amount of money has also been allocated for this round. There will be 12 matches in this phase, and the winner of each game will get 40,000 dollars. The winners of this round will receive a total of 4,80,000 USD. Besides, the four eliminated teams from the first round will receive 40,000 dollars each, which is 160,000 USD in total.
The prize money for the Twenty20 World Cup 2022 in Australia will total 5.6 million USD, with 45 matches taking place over the course of one month.
T20 WC’22 Prize Money
Prize money for the 2022 ICC Twenty20 World Cup
ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2022: Participating Teams and Groups
A total of 16 teams will take part in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, and there will be two rounds before the semifinals. The participating teams are: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, and Zimbabwe.
Eight teams will be divided into two groups in the first round. The top two teams from each group in this round will advance to the Super 12s. There are two groups in the Super 12 phase: Group 1 and Group 2. Each group will have six teams. The top two teams in the point standings of each group will earn a place in the semifinals.
The first round’s groups
Two of the top teams in the world of cricket, Sri Lanka and the West Indies, will have to play in the first round to earn a place in the Super Round phase. Both teams will be favourites in their respective groups to advance to the next round. Here are the two groups for this round.
Group A: Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates
Group B: Ireland, Scotland, West Indies and Zimbabwe
Groups of the Super 12s
The Super 12 round will take place from October 22 to November 6. There will be some exciting matches that fans may watch during this phase. Arch-rivals Australia and England will play in Group 1, while India and Pakistan will play in Group 2. Here are the two Super 12 round groupings.
Group 1: Afghanistan, Australia, England, New Zealand, AI, B2
Group 2: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa, B1, A2
Bottom Line
The ICC has set aside a substantial sum of prize money for the T20 World Cup 2022. None of the teams will go home empty-handed. There will be prizes for every participating team. However, the two finalist teams will get the majority of the prize money. The champion team will take home over 1.5 million dollars in addition to the eye-catching trophy. Australia will host the eighth edition of the Twenty20 World Cup from October 16 to November 13.
Source: United News of Bangladesh