BBC Bangla forever shuts on New Year eve midnight
The language service was launched on October 11 1941
IH Web Desk
AGARTALA, January 01 2023: The BBC has discontinued radio broadcast in 10 languages including Bangla from Saturday midnight. It means Bangla service which started 81 years ago will no longer be heard on the Radio.
BBC officials earlier announced that they will save £28.5 million annually through the closures. The fund saving measures also sought to close 382 posts at the World Service.
BBC Bangla was launched on October 11 1941 with a 15-minute programme under the BBC World Service. BBC Bangla's headquarters used to be Bush House, but in 2012 it shifted to Broadcasting House in London and was also aired from BBC bureaux in Dhaka and Kolkata.
81 years after its inception, BBC Bengali radio broadcasting officially closed with broadcast of popular Parikrama programme. Bangla programmes however will be continued in its television and online platforms.
The programmes of BBC Bangla came on FM radio, mediumwave and shortwave, their website and their internet radio and video services.
BBC Bangla reached 1,30,00,000 Bengali speaking people. Its radio and online services have listeners from many Bengali communities particularly those living in Bangladesh, West Bengal, Tripura and Assam.
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