Bangladesh Television

BTV first commenced transmissions on 25 December 1964, as a pilot project in the then East Pakistan, airing a song by the singer Ferdausi Rahman. It broadcast from the DIT Bhaban on a four-hour basis, with broadcasting equipments provided by NEC.[9] This was Pakistan Television's second television station after the one in Lahore. The first drama telecast on PTV's Dacca television station, Ektala Dotala, written by Munier Choudhury, was aired in 1965. The first television commercial on PTV Dacca was aired in 1967 for a detergent soap 707.[10] The same year, Pakistan Television's eastern branch was converted to an autonomous corporation.[7]

On 4 March 1971, the Dhaka station of Pakistan Television was unofficially renamed to "Dhaka Television", and television celebrities refused to work for Pakistani television as the East Pakistanis struggle for autonomy.[11] When Bangladesh was declared an independent state on 23 March 1971, television began showing the flag of Bangladesh and playing the Bangladeshi national anthem, Amar Sonar Bangla, rather than the Pakistani flag and national anthem.

Threats were made by Pakistani authorities that if the flag of Pakistan was not displayed on television, then Bengali workers will be barred from entering the television center. However, pro-Bangladesh songs were aired on Dhaka Television during the night of 23 March instead. As a result, the Pakistan Armed Forces took control of the DIT Bhaban, but was attacked by the Mukti Bahini. At that moment, people joined to fight for the liberation of Bangladesh through its television industry.[12]

One of the earliest known broadcasts of Bangladesh Television.

After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Pakistan Television's Dacca television station was renamed to Bangladesh Television, officially losing its affiliation with PTV. The next year, the autonomous corporation was converted into a fully government-owned department on 15 September.[7] The network established its first relay station in Natore in 1974.[13] In 1975, the offices and studios were shifted to the newly built headquarters located at Rampura in Dhaka.[10] In 1977, Fazle Lohani created a new magazine show for BTV based on The David Frost Show on BBC, Jodi Kichhu Mone Na Koren, which ended right after his death.[10]

Bangladesh Television began color transmissions in 1980, marking the first official full-time color broadcasts in South Asia.[7][13] As of 1985, via the Satkhira relay station, television sets in West Bengal in India could receive terrestrial signals of BTV.[14] It began relaying broadcasts of CNN and BBC in 1992, marking the first presence of foreign television in Bangladesh.[15] In 1994, BTV telecasted its first private production, a one-hour play Prachir Periye, directed by Atiqul Haque Chowdhury.[10] The network established its Chittagong station on 19 December 1996.[16]

During the 1980s to 1990s, Bangladesh Television had created several popular television series, such as Ei Shob Din Ratri, Bohubrihi, Ayomoy, Ityadi, Kothao Keu Nei, Aaj Robibar, and many others.[10] It has also aired several foreign television series, such as Alif Laila and The Sword of Tipu Sultan, which helped with the network's success.[17] In May 1997, Bangladesh Television received an Asiavision Award for its coverage of the cyclone that occurred in that year.[18]

Bangladesh Television was the sole television broadcaster in Bangladesh[19] until the launch of ATN Bangla on satellite television in 1997, and Ekushey Television on terrestrial in 2000. As competition grew over the years, BTV declined and stagnated, and privately owned television channels gained more popularity among locals. A 2017 survey by the Bangladesh Cable TV Viewers Forum stated that only around 25% to 30% of the cable television audience watch local television, among them BTV gained the lowest viewership, and was mostly watched by rural audiences, who only have access to terrestrial television.[20] The network's director general, Haroon Or Rashid, once stated that if BTV does not change, it will become 'obsolete'.[19]

However, up to 2005, Bangladesh Television had established fourteen relay stations, covering 93% of the country.[13] In 2004, Bangladesh Television began international satellite broadcasts via BTV World.[21] Due to a power outage caused by the North Indian Ocean cyclone on 17 November 2007, BTV temporarily ceased transmissions for nearly three hours that day.[22] Its sister, Sangsad Television, was launched on 25 January 2011, which simultaneously broadcasts live programming from the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.[23] The same day, BTV began broadcasting in digital terrestrial television.[7] In June 2014, an unused frequency of BTV was scrapped as it disrupted 3G services of mobile operators in Bangladesh.[24] Bangladesh Television opened the country's first television museum on 1 December 2016.[25]

By 2018, Bangladesh Television began regaining its fame and relevancy, after the network reformed its programming, which led to a tremendous increase in viewership. According to Hasanul Haq Inu, the Minister of Information of Bangladesh, around 83% of the country's population watched BTV in that year.[26] BTV, along with Maasranga Television and Nagorik TV, was the broadcaster of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Bangladesh.[27]

The network began broadcasting in India via DD Free Dish on 2 September 2019, via the Bangabandhu-1 satellite.[28][29] To celebrate BTV's 55th anniversary in 2019, privately owned Channel i arranged a special program in its headquarters and was aired on both networks.[30] BTV also inaugurated two new digital studios on 8 February 2020, at the BTV Bhaban, as a part of the network's renaissance.[31]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, BTV, along with Sangsad Television, began broadcasting educational programming for secondary-level students.[32] It had also reaired some of its classic television series.[33] BTV announced to establish an educational channel to make remote learning more effective on students, which was also planned way back in 2008.[34][35]

On 13 March 2021, Bangladesh Television announced that they will be establishing 6 more regional stations, which will be accomplished by 2023.[36][7] The network officially launched its app in May 2021, in which four channels, including BTV Dhaka, BTV Chittagong, BTV World, and Sangsad Television, can be streamed.[37] On 24 September 2021, Hasan Mahmud, Information and Broadcasting Minister, formally announced to convert BTV's Khulna station from relay to a full-on regional station.[38] Bangladesh Television inaugurated its high definition broadcasts in its 57th anniversary in 2021.[39]

• BTV Dhaka - The largest television station of Bangladesh Television, headquartered in Rampura and mostly branded as 'BTV'. It commenced transmissions for the first time in 1964 as a PTV-affiliated station of Dacca in the then East Pakistan. After Bangladesh's independence, the station rebranded to Bangladesh Television, and was the only major station of BTV until 1996. It is relayed nationwide via its relay stations and BTV's satellite channel, BTV World.
• BTV Chittagong - BTV's first and currently the sole regional television station, inaugurated in 1996. It began broadcasting on satellite television in 2016 and is the second terrestrial television station of Bangladesh. It broadcasts programming for the Chittagonians and the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. BTV Chittagong broadcasts on a full-day basis since 19 December 2021.[40]

Countries where BTV can be received through AsiaSat 7 Satellite shown in green, host country in red.

BTV broadcasts worldwide through satellite television via BTV World. It was launched on 11 April 2004, the same year when BTV itself also began broadcasting in satellite. BTV World broadcasts on a full-day basis, and BTV's satellite feed simulcasts the transmission of BTV World, when the channel closes down for the night, as the terrestrial feed shuts off.[21] BTV broadcasts in over 49 countries via the AsiaSat 7 satellite, which includes the entire continent of Asia.[48]

In 2016, BTV Chittagong began satellite transmissions with airtime hours increasing over time. In 2018, Bangladesh Television began broadcasting through the Bangabandhu-1 satellite, along with several other local television channels.[49] Via the Bangabandhu-1 satellite, the network's television signals can be received in the Middle East and North Africa.[50]

Bangladesh Television is available on several social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.[51] It has also been broadcasting live on IPTV and mobile TV services from November 12, 2013.[7]