The Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) Bengali Service celebrated its annual Listener Meet, RVA Day, and the Jubilee Year of the Birth of Jesus Christ with great joy and festivity on December 5 at the Archbishop T. A. Ganguly Hall in Luxmibazar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The celebration brought together people of different faiths in a vibrant expression of unity and harmony.
This year’s gathering was held under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope: Together in the Service of Truth.” Around 140 participants joined the event, including one bishop, ten priests, fifteen religious sisters, two religious brothers, and Christian, Muslim, and Hindu listeners. The celebration began with the Holy Eucharist.
Among those present were Bishop James Romen Boiragi of Khulna Diocese, Chairman of the Social Communication Commission and chief guest of the event; Father Bulbul Augustine Rebeiro, Director of the Christian Communication Center and president of the ceremony; and Father Nikhil Gomes, Coordinator of the RVA Bengali Service.
Special guests included Father Uzzal Linus Rozario, Parish Priest of Luxmibazar Parish; Father Palash Gomes; Mr. Theophil Nokrek, Director of CDI, Caritas Bangladesh; Mr. James Gomes, Director of MAWTS Institute of Bangladesh; Mr. Pradeep Augustine Gomes, Director of Housing Society; Mrs. Florence Gomes, Principal of YWCA; and several former RVA Bengali Service producers.
The day-long program featured a variety of activities, including Holy Mass, the national anthem, flag raising, oath-taking, lighting of the ceremonial lamp, Scripture readings, presentation of honor shawls, introduction of listeners, documentary screening, guest speeches, listener sharing, crest presentation, and a cake-cutting ceremony.
In his welcome remarks, Father Nikhil Gomes expressed deep appreciation for the audience, saying, “Our viewers and listeners are the lifeblood of the Radio Veritas Asia Bengali Service. Over the long journey of 45 years, the listeners have remained our driving force and source of inspiration.”
He added, “Radio Veritas Asia is the voice of the voiceless. Veritas means truth, and truth leads people to light. With the purpose of spreading this truth among people, Radio Veritas Asia was established in Quezon City, Manila.”
Speaking about the mission of RVA, he said, “The fundamental aim of the RVA Bengali Service is to build dialogue, unity, and fraternity among people of all faiths and communities, and to spread the message of truth.”
Delivering the keynote message, Bishop James Romen Boiragi said, “This year, the RVA Bengali Service celebrates its 45th anniversary, the listener conference, and the Jubilee Year of the Birth of Christ. It is truly a joyous occasion because Christians, Muslims, and Hindus have come together here, reflecting the spirit of interreligious dialogue. I hope RVA Bengali Service will continue to walk with everyone in proclaiming and upholding the truth.”
He added, “Every religion inspires us to uphold the truth. No religion encourages taking refuge in falsehood; our fundamental value is that we must be people of truth.”
Listeners also shared their experiences. Happy Sardar, a regular listener, said, “I am truly delighted to attend this program. I follow all the programs of the RVA Bengali Service and share my feedback regularly. The educational and formative content they provide is truly commendable.”
Another regular listener, Didarul Iqbal, said, “Listening to and watching RVA Bengali Service programs has helped transform my life and taught me many valuable lessons. I sincerely thank all the RVA staff for their spiritually enriching and morally inspiring programs.”
Radio Veritas Asia was founded by the Catholic Bishops of Asia on 11 April 1969 to proclaim the truth. Broadcasting from Quezon City, Manila, its message now reaches over 2 billion people across Asia in 22 languages. The Bengali Service began its mission on 1 December 1980 and continues to uplift the voice of the voiceless.
Today, people from 56 countries visit the RVA Bengali Service website, and its Facebook page has more than 36,251 followers. In Bangladesh, the highest viewership comes from Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Kishoreganj, Moulvibazar, Tongi, Dinajpur, and Barishal.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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