BBC Bangla The Final Countdown On Radio

British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) Bangla 

The Final Countdown Has Begun On Radio:

Finally, it has been formally announced on air that BBC Bangla is ending its radio transmissions on shortwave etc on December 31st of 2022.

Here is the announcement I recorded on December 15th on 9510kHz around 1342utc:

The audio link:

https://app.box.com/s/3z4oqmn7t10b6z76ohnano8ybuusbled

And from December 16th onwards it is airing interviews with prominent personalities on BBC Bangla .And I heard interviews with famous poltical personalities of Bangladesh so far.I also heard part of an interview with then Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu recorded during his 1984 visit to UK.

From January Ist,2023,BBC Bengali will be fully on its website.

Here is the  current skd of BBC Bengali on shortwave monitored by me.

1330-1400utc  11750kHz 9510kHz 9900kHz

1630-1700utc   7265kHz 9585kHz 

Me & BBC Bangla :Monitor's Nostalgic Flashback

As far as I could recall, my serious listening to BBC Bangla had begun in late 1982-early 1983 during the period of one of the most recent depressing political unrest in my home state Assam's history.And there was lack of accurate news in our Government controlled All India Radio(AIR) Stations and a huge portion of state population tuned to BBC Bangla for accurate news.I was then in my maternal uncle residence in Bilasipara(now Dhubri District then Goalpara District)  and three radios there in our maternal uncle's house, all tuned into BBC Bengali for news about Assam in the morning from 6:00AM & then in the evening from 7:00PM regularly as far as I could recall.And during that time ,BBC WS's English & Hindi transmissions were also tuned into by many besides Voice Of America(VOA)'s Bangla & Hindi transmissions.The old signature tune of BBC Bangla in flute still rings on my ear.That time most of the current affairs dispatches from BBCWS's (English)correspondents  translated by South Asian Languages viz Bengali,Hindi and Urdu Services on their respective languages and  translated reports were aired as far as I could recall.And from late 1980s ,90s...& in 21st centuries, I have numerous hours of BBC Bangla listening on shortwave almost daily from 1990s behind me.I have witnessed many changes in BBC Bengali over the years.All will be now history by the end of this year.And it is also a sad experience to witness as a listener of international analog shortwave broadcasting going off the air of BBC Bangla for good in favour internet platforms (digital media) & so called social media formats viz.facebook,youtube & twitter  with the advent of new technologies.But we have to go with change of technology and current trend of media whether one like it or not.

Here is the announcement on the future of BBC Bangla after December 31st:

(1658utc on  9585kHz heard on December 17th:)

The audio file link:

https://app.box.com/s/tzbdfazjcmgl8cwfkcvzo6d5zngitlu2

Here is the snaps of front & back sides  BBC Bangla printed schedules of 1999 from my collection.

One can  only be in touch  with BBC Bangla On 

bbcbangla.com & also on BBC Bangla's youtube channel,facebook & twitter from January 1st,2023 & bye bye BBC Bangla on analog radio with the end of this year.

73

Gautam Kumar Sharma(GK)(VU3WTI)

(Abhayapuri)(Assam)(India)