The high court on Wednesday asked the government to explain in three weeks why the obstructing telecast of private television channel Ekushey Television without any notice would not be declared illegal.
The bench comprising Justice Kazi Reza-ul Hoque and Jusice Abu Taher Md Saifur Raman passed the order hearing a writ petition filed by Lakshmipur press club president Hossain Ahmed Helal, Etv reporter Faruque Ahmed and a resident of Mirpur area in Dhaka Shariful Islam Pial.
The court also asked the government to explain why it would not order to remove all obstructions to telecast of the private television channel.
The court asked 13 people including the secretaries of the ministries of information, home and telecommunications, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, inspector general of police, Dhaka metropolitan police commissioner, deputy inspector general of detective branch of police, additional director (spectrum management) of BTRC, chief information officer of the press and information department, president and general secretary of Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh.
Jurist Rafique-Ul Huq moved the petition. He said that the television channel was being obstructed since it had telecast a programme of Bangladesh Nationalist Party vice-chairman Tarique Rahman on January 4, 2015. He said the television channel did no offence by airing the programme of Tarique Rahman on the day as the high court banned on airing and printing Tarique’s speech on January 7, 2015.
Source: New Age
