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Published : 25 May 2014, 02:00 PM
The decision is taken to increase its circulation and widen its reach, the management announced in its May 23 issue.
The weekly is into its 23rd year of publication.
With this, readers will be able to get 12 weeklies published from the New York City free of charge.
About one year ago, Saptahik Porichoy, publishing for 21 years, offered free subscription.
Only two weeklies --- Saptahik Thikana and Saptahik Bangla --- are still selling their issues -- the first one is sold at $1.5 in New York and $2 in other states while the price of the second one is $1.
The free weeklies are Saptahik Porichoy, Saptahik Darpon, Saptahik Ajkal, Saptahik Janmobhumi, Saptahik Bangladesh, Saptahik Probash, Saptahik Bornomala, Saptahik Deshbangla, Bangla Times, New York Prothom Alo and Saptahik Runner.
The newspaper authorities have found it difficult to survive in the market only with current Bangladeshi issues as Bangladeshi channels are available and news updates are available as well in Bangladeshi newspapers.
Many newspapers do not have the manpower or workforce for doing in-depth reports.
The ad market is also shrinking gradually. The ad market is too small for 22 TV stations and 14 newspapers.
Many newspapers other than Saptahik Thikana do not distribute their issues to other states due to financial crunch as the sending cost cannot be covered by sale proceeds.
The free weeklies mostly target mosques and restaurants. Muslims get four to five newspapers after Friday’s Zuma prayers.
There are more than 300,000 Bangladeshis in the New York City and about 1 million in the entire US.
But less than 1 million newspapers are published compared to the population.
Indian and Pakistani newspapers published from the NY City offered free subscriptions several years ago.
