The Dhaka Times Desk We should think about why we are so weak towards foreign especially Indian TV channels by moving away from the domestic culture. If you find the cause, the solution will come.
Why are Indian TV channels especially Star Jalsa and Zee Bangla so popular with the people of Bangladesh? If anyone can be asked this question, each person will answer differently. But no one will go to the real reason.
At various times, the TV owners of our country have complained in various ways and demanded the closure of Indian TV channels. But why? Why do people leave things in the house to eat things in another house? Without finding out the reason, they jumped. Finding the root cause alone will not solve it.
Suddenly Indian Zee Bangla was shut down. After almost 24 hours of shutdown, Indian Television Zee Network channels started broadcasting again in Bangladesh. The channels were seen again from last Wednesday afternoon.
Before that, all the channels of all Zee Network including Zee Bangla were stopped from broadcasting in Bangladesh from Monday. Various kinds of discussion-criticism started about the matter.
Why is G-Network channel G-Bangla so popular in Bangladesh? Why the television program of Bangladesh is not able to attract viewers, why the TV viewers of Bangladesh are turning to Indian channels, there has been a discussion in various circles for the past several years. But he didn't get any solution.
A survey by the Department of Population Sciences of Dhaka University conducted a few years ago showed that women watch 90 percent of television in Bangladesh. Although 60 percent of them watch Indian Bengali channels including Star Jalsa. Why do viewers like Indian channels, why Bangladesh programs do not attract them? This question arises.
Daily soap operas on Bengali channels in India are very popular with a large section of TV viewers in Bangladesh. Their audience is mainly women and retired senior men and women. Another segment is popular with various sports channels, which have a large audience of young people and men of various ages.
However, in response to the question why Indian channels are more popular than desi TV programs among the viewers of Bangladesh, a large number of viewers have complained about the excess of advertisements.
Nazia Parveen, a housewife, said that there are less advertisements on Indian channels. "Also, they spend a lot of money behind each of their events, which means they pay a lot of attention to their clothes, furnishings, which is nice to see.
"Besides, their manner of speaking also seems accurate to me. Like they don't speak Aichs-Gechs, but in Bangladeshi plays you will see that the working boy also speaks the same language as the hero of the play."
On the Facebook page of BBC Bengal, Atul Kumar wrote that, "Actually, from the day our country's channels will be able to make programs according to the minds of girls, we will no longer have to anger foreign channels, especially Star Jalsa and G'TV. If we don't make tasteful programs, our domestic channels will have to run after such viewers!”
A person named Al Mamun said, "The difference is the sack full of ads on the Bangladesh channel."
Another, Raseb Mallick, said, "The main difference is that Indian channels have fewer commercials, and the serials run every day, so those who watch them become an addiction, even though it's harmful."
Sanjida Neera, professor of Women and Gender Studies Department of Dhaka University, said that the audience likes to watch the 'fantasy' shown in Indian soaps.
"The fantasy channels that are shown like fairy tales do not happen in Bangladesh. For example, there is a lot of jewelry sitting in the room, or an impossible family conspiracy is being shown.”
“I think people always want to step outside of their real life and see a fantasy world that will give them some light entertainment. Moreover, there is also a matter of schedule, such as not having to remember Sunday-Monday."
However, he also mentioned the reason for the overabundance of advertisements. Said in his words, disrupting the viewer's attention.
The reason is that if a channel in Bangladesh has a program for 10 minutes and there are advertisements for 10 minutes or sometimes more. Because of that, disappointment is created among the audience. Whereas Indian channels are given 3 to 4 minutes of advertisement. A half-hour serial only has two scheduled advertisements. The audience is more interested in it. And besides, viewers see a story every day. And the viewers of Bangladeshi TVs have to wait at least 7 days after watching a story to watch serial dramas! But the overabundance of advertising seems to be at work here. If these things are looked into then there will be no need to move or force the audience. Viewers will come alone to watch domestic TV channels.
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