Demand to ban broadcast of Indian TV channels in Bangladesh High Court

Bangladesh: According to the Dhaka Tribune, a writ petition has been submitted to the Bangladesh High Court, requesting a ban on Indian TV stations’ broadcasting in the nation due to rising worries about the influence of Indian media on Bangladeshi culture and society.

The lawsuit was submitted on Monday by attorney Ekhlas Uddin Bhuiyan, who is requesting a direction to ban the transmission of Indian TV stations under the Cable Television Network Operation Act of 2006.

According to the Dhaka Tribune, it further queries why a regulation prohibiting Indian TV broadcasters in Bangladesh should not be established.

The High Court bench, which consists of Justices Fatema Najib and Sikder Mahmudur Razi, may hear the application.

The petition names the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the secretaries of the Home Ministry and the Information Ministry, among others, as respondents.

The Dhaka Tribune reports that the writ demands that all Indian TV networks, including Zee Bangla, Republic Bangla, Star Jalsha, and Star Plus, be banned.

According to the petition, uncontrolled broadcasts of information that are hostile to Bangladeshi culture are destroying the young, and Indian networks are airing inflammatory news.
It further claims that these channels don’t follow any rules while they operate.

Notably, violent assaults against Hindus and other minority groups have increased in Bangladesh, leading to requests for more security and assistance.

Following the arrest of former priest Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges and for allegedly raising a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25, there has been a surge in violence against minority communities in Bangladesh, resulting in the destruction of temples.

After a lawyer was slain in fights between police and Das’s claimed followers on November 27 in the vicinity of the Chattogram Court Building, tensions increased even worse.

India has expressed worry about the situation in Bangladesh on many occasions and called on the country’s interim administration to take action to safeguard minorities.

Speaking at the weekly media briefing last week, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal voiced concern over the rise of “extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation,” saying, “We are concerned about the surge of extremist rhetoric.” It is not enough to write off these events as media hyperbole. We urge Bangladesh once again to take all necessary measures to protect minorities and their interests.