::: Star Campus :::

Aspiring to be a news presenter?
Saikat Chowdhury Rintu
Samia Rahman, in her inimitable style, was talking on how one should manipulate one's facial expression and voice on TV while presenting news. Sitting in an air-conditioned conference room enriched by multimedia projectors, computers and laptops, handicams, DV cams, overhead projectors and modern sound systems, we were all captivated by her mannerism and her knowledge. We were ecstatic because in the coming days Shamsuddin Haider Dalim, Dr. Bhaswar Banerjee, Progna Laboni, Mithila Farzana and many others would be coming to deliver similar lectures! Sweet, isn't it?

It wasn't just a figment of my imagination. I was doing a course on News Presentation at Bangladesh Institute of Communication Studies & Public Relations (widely known as BICSPR). Located at Katabon Dhaal at Elephant Road, it is the country's first-ever private media-journalism institute that offers Diploma courses under the National University. We were a group of thirty trainees in our batch comprising of undergrad students from DU, BUET, NSU, IUB, East-West, BRAC, as well as executives and bankers. All of us were in the pursuit of becoming media personalities somehow or the other.

Like me, if you are also interested in diploma courses on Electronic Journalism, Modern Public Relations, Techniques of Public Relations, Freelance Journalism, News Reading and Presentation, News Presentation & TV Journalism, Print Journalism etc., BICDPR is the place for you. For your information, so far more than one thousand trainees have received certificates from this institute.

'First and foremost, we aim at giving people quality education in different branches of the mass communication discipline. We have been surprised by the enthusiastic response and the massive participation of people from all walks of lifestarting from undergraduate students from public or private universities to senior personnel like bankers, executives and businessmen,' says Mr. Mirza Tarequl Qader, popularly known as Tareq bhai, the Executive Director of the institute.

An alumnus of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University, Tareq bhai holds great passion for media and public relations. It is due to this passion that he embarked on this challenging venture. I asked him about the prospects of the trainees. He informed how a substantial number of the trainees in different courses have found new or better opportunities in their professional lives. 'Many of them have been working as news reporters, programme conductors or news presenters in places like BTV, NTV, ATN Bangla, RTV, Boishakhi TV, and Bangladesh Betar. Besides, a lot of others have engaged themselves in newspapers and magazines as staff reporters, column writers and freelance journalists,' he said.

While doing the course you'll meet high profile people from diverse fields and get to attend their enthralling lectures. Renowned personalities, like vice chancellors and high officials of universities, prominent media personnel from the print and electronic media, ministers and bureaucrats and illustrious personalities from arts and culture keep visiting the trainees regularly. I remember everyone in our batch was proud to have the President and the Secretary of Public Relations Society of India, as well as the President and the General Secretary of Kolkata Press Club among us.

Tareq bhai recalls the role and contribution of Mr. Anwar Hossain Chowdhury, a distinguished industrialist who is also the Chairman of the governing body, ably assisted by Mr. S M Emdadul Islam and Mr. Neesar Ahmed, both notable industrialists as well. 'We wouldn't have been here without their all out support,' he says.

As an ex-trainee of BICSPR, I felt it to be my responsibility to let everyone know about this wonderful institute where during your stay you reap the benefits of creativity and then discover the benefits in your profession once you have completed the courses. Lastly, what I want to say is simple. If you are genuinely aspiring for a smart career in the electronic media (as glamorous presenters of news, talk shows or programmes), or in the print media (as reporters, writers or editors), hurry up! What is stopping you from embracing the glittering challenge of this profession?