Local journalism in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, mainstream media rarely cover life outside the big cities. DW Akademie supports young journalists like Naimur Rahman to use the newest techniques to report on local issues.
The light of the setting sun filters through the dense foliage, as lanterns are pulled up on wooden poles. Hundreds of candles lie scattered in the grass like clusters of white flowers. Around them, sitting cross-legged, women and men are praying. Some are wearing traditional dress, others in their checked shirts look as if they have just come from the office. They are members of Buddhist minorities who are performing a yearly purification ritual in the hills of the Rangamati region in southern Bangladesh.
The lanterns may light up the sky, but just 300 kilometers away in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, hardly anyone knows of the ritual. In 2021, the then 22-year-old student Naimur Rahman produced a video about the tradition in Rangamati. The largest English-language newspaper in Bangladesh, The Daily Star, published the report , introducing the ritual to the website's many users in Dhaka.
The country's mainstream media rarely report on how people live outside of urban centers. But if people know nothing about each other, they run the risk of becoming embroiled in disputes, even bloody conflicts. Unfortunately, this has already occurred several times in Rangamati in the past.
A way to build bridges between communities, Rahman's video was the result of a three-year fellowship program at DW Akademie, which teaches aspiring media professionals in Bangladesh the most up-to-date digital skills. In 2023, Rahman reported on Chittagong's shipbreaking yards for a story exploring the industry's environmental and human health impacts Image: Saim Bin Mujib/DW A new look at one's own country
Rahman was one of the first 28 recipients of the "Local Media Hub Fellowship" selected by DW Akademie from all over the country. The word "local" was key to the program, as the aspiring journalists were expected to bring with them an enthusiasm for their regions and their cultural richness. They then set out to cover places where the country's major newspapers and television stations do not send correspondents. Rahman reported live from the Bangladesh–Myanmar border in February 2024 amid crossfire between Myanmar's Junta forces and the Arakan Army Image: Mong Sing Hai Marma/DW
Even as a schoolboy, Rahman roamed the streets with a camera in his hand. Taking part in the DW Akademie training courses, he received training on a range of digital tools needed for modern reporting, including interviewing, data journalism, mobile reporting, multimedia storytelling, constructive journalism, fact-checking and artificial intelligence. Rahman also learned how to turn relevant topics into gripping stories and how to appropriately verify information from the Internet.
Julfikar Ali Manik, one of Bangladesh's best-known investigative journalists and one of the project trainers, was pivotal in helping Rahman during his research in Rangamati. According to Rahman, Al Manik showed him how to connect with people of completely different walks of life and get them to tell their stories.
"This early, practical foundation gave me the confidence to grow in this field," said Rahman. Impressive career
Naimur Rahman's young career has already seen multiple successes and he attributes this to the DW Akademie fellowship.
'It led directly to a job interview that helped me get my current position at The Daily Star,' said the multi-award-winning Rahman. "I now work there as an assistant producer in the multimedia department."
As part of his work for the Daily Star, Rahman also researched human rights violations surrounding the political upheaval in Bangladesh in the summer of 2024. He conducted interviews with mothers whose young sons were killed in the protests, visited hospitals and collected information on official death tolls.
He now also works as a field producer, video journalist (VJ) and cameraman for international media outlets. After completing his bachelor's degree, Rahman went on to complete a diploma in film and TV in 2024. New round has already started
The current DW Akademie scholarship program started in 2024, with 30 new participants. This time, 15 students and 15 young media professionals have been selected. In addition to two years of training, they will also be able to work in tandems and support each other. Rahman is certain that, like him, the new participants will continue to benefit from the experience and contacts made after completing the program. The Local Media Hub Fellowship group of 2024-2026 during a training on AI in journalism Image: Istiaq Muhit
"The fellowship brought me together with a vibrant network of colleagues and mentors from across the region and broadened my view of journalism beyond national borders," Rahman said. "Participating in collaborative projects, workshops and receiving feedback from international trainers helped me to understand the importance of ethical reporting, inclusive storytelling and target group orientation."
All of this has inspired him to tell stories with a social impact and to work to make underrepresented voices heard. Rahman also wants to pass on the knowledge he has acquired over the years to others and now works as a trainer and mentor himself, including for DW Akademie.
Author: Patrick Batarilo
The fellowship program is part of DW Akademie's thematic program 'Journalism of the Future' and is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). DW Akademie has been working in Bangladesh since 2014, primarily to modernize the university education of aspiring journalists.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local Germany
2 days ago
- Local Germany
German word of the day: Checkst du?
Why do I need to know Checkst du ? 'Checkst du?' is a go-to phrase in casual conversations, especially with younger German speakers. If a friend thinks you didn't catch what they just said, they might ask you this question. It's more laidback than asking ' verstehst du mich?' or 'do you understand me?' It can also be useful when you want to ask for clarification. If someone just told a joke in German that flew over your head, you can tell them 'ich check das nicht' – I don't get it. What does it mean? On the surface, checken sounds exactly like what it means in English – to check or look at. And that is one way to use it. For example, you can say ' ich checke meine E-Mails.' But if a German asks you 'checkst du?' they're not asking you to check something out. What they're asking better translates to 'do you get it?' or 'make sense?' It's an informal way to make sure the person you're talking to is catching your drift. This phrase is common among younger German speakers. But you should probably steer clear of using it with your boss or your girlfriend's parents. It's quite colloquial and could come across as too informal. Advertisement Use it like this: 'Checkst du?' Do you get it? 'Ich check das.' I get it. 'Ich check das nicht.' I don't get it.
DW
4 days ago
- DW
Local journalism in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, mainstream media rarely cover life outside the big cities. DW Akademie supports young journalists like Naimur Rahman to use the newest techniques to report on local issues. The light of the setting sun filters through the dense foliage, as lanterns are pulled up on wooden poles. Hundreds of candles lie scattered in the grass like clusters of white flowers. Around them, sitting cross-legged, women and men are praying. Some are wearing traditional dress, others in their checked shirts look as if they have just come from the office. They are members of Buddhist minorities who are performing a yearly purification ritual in the hills of the Rangamati region in southern Bangladesh. The lanterns may light up the sky, but just 300 kilometers away in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, hardly anyone knows of the ritual. In 2021, the then 22-year-old student Naimur Rahman produced a video about the tradition in Rangamati. The largest English-language newspaper in Bangladesh, The Daily Star, published the report , introducing the ritual to the website's many users in Dhaka. The country's mainstream media rarely report on how people live outside of urban centers. But if people know nothing about each other, they run the risk of becoming embroiled in disputes, even bloody conflicts. Unfortunately, this has already occurred several times in Rangamati in the past. A way to build bridges between communities, Rahman's video was the result of a three-year fellowship program at DW Akademie, which teaches aspiring media professionals in Bangladesh the most up-to-date digital skills. In 2023, Rahman reported on Chittagong's shipbreaking yards for a story exploring the industry's environmental and human health impacts Image: Saim Bin Mujib/DW A new look at one's own country Rahman was one of the first 28 recipients of the "Local Media Hub Fellowship" selected by DW Akademie from all over the country. The word "local" was key to the program, as the aspiring journalists were expected to bring with them an enthusiasm for their regions and their cultural richness. They then set out to cover places where the country's major newspapers and television stations do not send correspondents. Rahman reported live from the Bangladesh–Myanmar border in February 2024 amid crossfire between Myanmar's Junta forces and the Arakan Army Image: Mong Sing Hai Marma/DW Even as a schoolboy, Rahman roamed the streets with a camera in his hand. Taking part in the DW Akademie training courses, he received training on a range of digital tools needed for modern reporting, including interviewing, data journalism, mobile reporting, multimedia storytelling, constructive journalism, fact-checking and artificial intelligence. Rahman also learned how to turn relevant topics into gripping stories and how to appropriately verify information from the Internet. Julfikar Ali Manik, one of Bangladesh's best-known investigative journalists and one of the project trainers, was pivotal in helping Rahman during his research in Rangamati. According to Rahman, Al Manik showed him how to connect with people of completely different walks of life and get them to tell their stories. "This early, practical foundation gave me the confidence to grow in this field," said Rahman. Impressive career Naimur Rahman's young career has already seen multiple successes and he attributes this to the DW Akademie fellowship. 'It led directly to a job interview that helped me get my current position at The Daily Star,' said the multi-award-winning Rahman. "I now work there as an assistant producer in the multimedia department." As part of his work for the Daily Star, Rahman also researched human rights violations surrounding the political upheaval in Bangladesh in the summer of 2024. He conducted interviews with mothers whose young sons were killed in the protests, visited hospitals and collected information on official death tolls. He now also works as a field producer, video journalist (VJ) and cameraman for international media outlets. After completing his bachelor's degree, Rahman went on to complete a diploma in film and TV in 2024. New round has already started The current DW Akademie scholarship program started in 2024, with 30 new participants. This time, 15 students and 15 young media professionals have been selected. In addition to two years of training, they will also be able to work in tandems and support each other. Rahman is certain that, like him, the new participants will continue to benefit from the experience and contacts made after completing the program. The Local Media Hub Fellowship group of 2024-2026 during a training on AI in journalism Image: Istiaq Muhit "The fellowship brought me together with a vibrant network of colleagues and mentors from across the region and broadened my view of journalism beyond national borders," Rahman said. "Participating in collaborative projects, workshops and receiving feedback from international trainers helped me to understand the importance of ethical reporting, inclusive storytelling and target group orientation." All of this has inspired him to tell stories with a social impact and to work to make underrepresented voices heard. Rahman also wants to pass on the knowledge he has acquired over the years to others and now works as a trainer and mentor himself, including for DW Akademie. Author: Patrick Batarilo The fellowship program is part of DW Akademie's thematic program 'Journalism of the Future' and is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). DW Akademie has been working in Bangladesh since 2014, primarily to modernize the university education of aspiring journalists.
DW
6 days ago
- DW
Germany sees rise in number of large families – DW – 06/23/2025
More families in Germany have three or more children. Many of them have a migration background. The share of children growing up in large families in Germany has been rising again in recent years, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), driven mainly by immigration since 2015. That figure had declined from 25% in 1996 to 23% in 2015, but then rose again to 26% by 2024. "The development over the past ten years is likely due mainly to immigration starting in 2015," Destatis said. Families with a migration background were found to have three or more children nearly twice as often as families without foreign roots. In 2024, 19% of migrant families had at least three children, compared to around 10% of other families. Also in 2024, 8% of children lived with three or more siblings, while 18% had two siblings. The largest group — 44% — lived with one sibling, and 30% were only children. Larger families were slightly more common in the western federal states, where 13% of families had at least three children, compared to 11% in eastern Germany. The figures come from the annual microcensus, which surveys 1% of the population. Families are defined as parent-child groups living in the same household — children who have moved out are not included. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
