Mismanagement leaves the Chittagong centre of Bangladesh Television (BTV) in disarray, with the dream of its viewers in the region remaining unfulfilled even after a decade.
Quality of programmes has declined due to lack of proper care and monitoring when reported practice of irregularities has gripped the state-run organisation, said the sources.
The BTV authorities launched an installation at a cost of Tk 80 crore on December 19 in 1996 to fulfill the long cherished dream of some one crore viewers in the region.
Abu Naser Salahuddin, a diploma engineer, has taken the helm of the centre in the country's second city as acting general manager.
Naser, also acting head of the engineering section, took charge eight months ago when the then GM Enamul Haq Chowdhury (now the assistant chief engineer at BTV head office) was transferred to Dhaka.
Usually a producer, either from programme or news sections, is supposed to be appointed as the general manager, said the sources.
The post of Producer (programme) has been lying vacant for long while an assistant producer is all to take care of the programme section that was supposed to have two producers.
BTV Director General Kamal Uddin said the authorities are looking for a competent person from programme section for the post.
“But, such competent person are not available as most of the senior officials want to stay in the BTV headquarters in Dhaka,” said Kamal while talking to The Daily Star on July 1.
He, however, said they will be able to appoint a senior official as the GM there soon and the process has already started in this regard.
The authorities have taken measures to reorganise the total set-up and rejuvenate the centre.
Some positive changes recently took place at the news section where a cameraman, Mohammad Hossain, had been serving as the acting producer (news) with a teleprinter operator, Alauddin, acting as the second in command since long.
Appointed as a grade-2 officer back in 1986 Hossain was promoted to the post of senior cameraman as a grade 1 officer and transferred to Dhaka in 1998. But, he managed to stay back on deputation and continue service at the same station for over two decades until he along with Teleprinter Operator Alauddin were stand released on July 3.
Hossain had been serving as the acting producer (news) at the centre for around four years in three phases since 2000.
The duo were stand released for their alleged involvement in irregularities like wider coverage of less important news, renting out personal camera for covering news and drawing money in the name of overtime bill.
DDG (news) Monwarul Islam said absence of qualified officials forced the authorities to run the Chittagong centre somehow with whatever manpower the latter had.
He said there is a shortage of news producers that BTV makes up in different ways like reshuffling of existing one and recruiting guest producers from outside.
BTV appointed Mezbahuddin Chowdhury Farhad as a guest producer and attached him to its Chittagong centre on January 1 this year. But, he was suspended on June 12.
Mezbah also served as BTV correspondent in Chittagong earlier and got Asia Vision Award in in the first week of July last year.
He was sacked on July 16 the same year. Shahida Alam, the then DDG (News) of BTV, sacked him without showing any reason, Mezbah said.
He said he was appointed the guest producer (news) on January 1 this year after an interview. But, on June 17 he received a suspension letter with effect from June 12 this year.
“This time also the reason behind the suspension remained unknown to me, said Mezbah accusing a high official of information ministry of playing role on both the occasions.
“The official, who hails from my neighbouring Lohagara upazila in Chittagong, made the interference and put pressure to get me removed on both the occasions due to previous enmity and at the instigation of a section of people working at BTV Chittagong centre,” he alleged.
When asked about the guest producer, Monwar said they will look into everything and reorganise the total set up of BTV Chittagong centre.