| Type | National News Agency |
|---|---|
| Industry | News agency |
| Founded | January 1972 |
| Headquarters | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Website | [1] |
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ সংবাদ সংস্থা (বাসস)) is a National news agency of Bangladesh established on January 1, 1972 within days of birth of Bangladesh as an independent country. The Dhaka bureau of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) was turned into the national news agency of the new country. Beginning with a small strength in the head office in Dhaka and a bureau in Chittagong, BSS now has bureaus in Rajshahi, Rangamati and Sylhet also. The national news agency has its correspondents in all the 64 administrative districts of the country.
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News agencies had operated in Bangladesh since long before its emergence as an independent state. One of the oldest news agencies in the world, the Reuter's Telegram Company, known shortly as Reuters, had its branches in different parts of British India including Bengal. The Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) was the first news agency to start working in East Bengal and West Pakistan in September 1949. It had offices in Karachi, Sindh, and two branches in East Bengal, one at Dhaka and the other at Chittagong. In the same year, a privately owned news agency, the United Press of Pakistan (UPP), was launched at Karachi and Dhaka. Another private news agency, initially named Pakistan Press Agency (PPA) and later renamed Pakistan Press International (PPI), started functioning in June 1956 with its headquarters at Karachi and a branch office at Dhaka. The Eastern News Agency (ENA), the first locally owned independent news agency in Dhaka was established in March 1970 as a private limited company. Its operations remained suspended during the 9-month long War of Liberation in 1971.
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) came into being as the national news agency through a government order in January 1972. It started its journey with some staff members who had previously worked at APP. Initially it did not have any links with the outside world. In time links developed with PTI of India and reputed world wire services such as Reuters, AFP, and UPI.
In 1979, the BSS Ordinance was promulgated to enable it to act as the national news agency for undertaking news agency services in Bangladesh and obtaining international news agency services.
The agency functions 24 hours to disseminate national, international, political, economic, industrial, educational, arts & culture, development and other news to more than 50 subscribers across the country. BSS subscribes to international wire services AFP and exchanges news with Press Trust of India (PTI), Xinhua, the official news agency of China, Bernama of Malaysia and TransData of Australia.
BSS transmits news features including IPS features. BSS introduced a Bangla news service in 1999 in the backdrop of a massive development of Bangla newspapers and media in Bangladesh.
It signed exchange agreements with Reuters, AFP, UPI, PTI, APP, Xinhua of China, Rastriya Samachar Samiti - RSS of Nepal, Bernama of Malaysia, Antara of Indonesia, APN of former Soviet Union, ADN of former German Democratic Republic, Prensa Latina of Cuba, INA of Iraq, Kyodo of Japan, AGERPRESS of Romania, IRNA of Iran, Non-aligned News Pool, Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA), and the International Islamic News Agency (IINA). Protocols have also been signed with AFP of France and other foreign news agencies for exchange of photographs.
An Ordinance to provide for the establishment of the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha functions as a national news agency for undertaking and promoting news agency service in Bangladesh, obtaining international news agency service, mobilisation of national news, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto; In pursuance of the proclamations of the 20th August, 1975, and the 8th November, 1975, and in exercise of all powers enabling him in that behalf, the President promulgate the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha Ordinance:-1979.
BSS handles national news including the activities of the government, diplomatic affairs, socio-political happenings, economy, finance, sports, culture, law and parliamentary affairs. Newspapers throughout the country, radio and television authorities, and some government agencies subscribe to the news service of BSS. Banks and commercial organisations subscribe to the commercial news service of BSS that include international currency and commodity rates. The agency also runs a feature service. It is attached to the Ministry of Information and is headed by a managing director cum chief editor, while a board of directors with a chairman supervises the general direction and management of the agency. The sources of income consist of subscriptions from the subscribers and subsidy from the government.
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) is/was directly or indirectly controlled by the ruling party in position. During the change of power from one political party to another, its management was also changed. So when the neutral point of view is concerned, it could not make its overall acceptance. BSS provides news how it is guided/recommended to provide and of course that news serves the purpose favoring the party in power.