The new series of TV serial “Ujan Ganger Naiya” will start broadcasting from Tuesday (June 23) on ATN Bangla. To mark the launch of the second series, a premiere and press conference was arranged on Tuesday at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC). Nick Dyer, Director General for Policy and Global Programmes at the UK Department for International Development, was present along with members of the cast and crew and officials from the Government of Bangladesh, ATN Bangla and BBC Media Action.

The series, produced by BBC Media Action, will air every Tuesday at 8:40pm and is a family entertainment drama aimed at helping people learn about maternal and child health. A new programme called “Natoker Pore” will launch alongside, featuring actors from the drama, pregnant women and specialist doctors and broadcast on the same channel every Wednesday at 9:35am.

The story of “Ujan Ganger Naiya” series two takes place a few years after the events depicted in series one. Health worker Anika (played by Sporshia) is seen assisting pregnant women in an urban slum but with a desire for a new adventure in her life – a different ambition as a health worker. She starts to work in a remote fishing village where she meets Dr. Naim (played by Riaz): just like Anika, the ups and downs of his life have brought him to the same village. With the open sea on one side, Anika and Naim work together in an unknown environment, both trying to forget their past and help the community around them: a collection of people with simple, wonderful lives who are struggling with the challenges of life.

The script is written by Rafiqul Islam Poltu and Shuvashis Sinha and the drama is directed by Bashar Georgis. The cast includes Riaz, Farhana Mili, Champa, Tariq Anam Khan, Lutfur Rahman George, Sporshia, Titash Zia, Afroza Banu, Shatabdi Wadud, Reekita Nondine Shimu, Fazlul Haque and Putul.

Ujan Ganger Naiya is a part of the BBC Agomoni project, which uses a range of media outputs to support people all over Bangladesh to adopt healthier behaviours and practices connected to pregnancy and childbirth.