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Tara Bangla lines up ground events; eyes Bangladesh market
MUMBAI: Broadcast Worldwide’s regional language channel Tara Bangla has lined up a couple of on-ground activities for the coming months.
A music night-cum-talent hunt and a festival dedicated to Bangladeshi artistes are in the pipeline.
The music night coined as Jatin Lalit Night will mark the culmination of a music talent hunt. The winners of the hunt will sing for a Jatin Lalit-composed music video, produced by Tara Bangla. They will also get to participate in the Jatin Lalit night along with popular singers Alka Yagnik and Shaan. The show will be held in Kolkata on 9 October.
The Bangladesh festival, scheduled for September, will be held in Mumbai and Delhi. The fest will have Bangladeshi artistes showcasing their talents in the fields of music, fashion, art and cookery.
According to Broadcast Worldwide chairman Rathikant Basu, Tara Bangla has been carrying out various campaigns in Bangladesh to tap the market share the country offers.
In June, the channel conducted a Bangladesh fashion week in Dhaka. Basu says that Tara Bangla’s youth-oriented programme Fulli Fata Fati, anchored by miss Bangladesh, is extremely popular among the Bangladeshi audience. The show is produced in association with MTV.
“Bangla audience in Bangladesh is double that of what West Bengal offers. In Bangladesh, we have a channel share of approximately 7 per cent while in West Bengal it is 3 per cent.Though Tara Bangla is relatively a new comer in Bangladesh, we fully understand how lucrative and attractive the Bangladesh market is for us,” offers Basu.
According to industry sources, Bangladesh television ad market is Rs 1.5 billion-strong, while for West Bengal, it comes in the region of Rs 700 million. Basu claims that Tara Bangla holds about 5 per cent of the Bangladesh television ad market.
Prominent television channels in Bangladesh include national channel Bangladesh Television (BTV), ETN Bangla, Channel I and NTV.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
