Frequency cancellation: SC full bench to hear Channel 1's appeal against HC order on 16 February

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today (28 January) set 16 February for hearing Channel 1's appeal against a High Court order that dismissed a petition challenging a ban on its frequency allocation, effectively shutting it down in 2010.

The Appellate Division accepted their appeal and scheduled it for hearing by the full bench of the Appellate Division headed by the chief justice, Mizan-ul Haque, head of the Legal Wing of Channel 1, said confirming the development.

Channel 1's lawyer Mohammad Masum Billah said, "The chamber judge has accepted Channel 1's appeal and sent it to the full bench for hearing. There is a 100% chance of Channel 1 returning to full-fledged operations." 

According to the lawyers of the channel, on 27 April 2010, on the orders of the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) stopped allocating frequency to Channel 1. When a petition was filed at the time against the government decision, the HC dismissed the petition.

On 23 January this year, nearly 15 years after its closure, Channel 1 was allowed to file a leave-to-appeal against the HC dismissal.