HC issues rule asking why Indian TV channel Republic Bangla should not be banned in Bangladesh
The High Court has issued a rule asking why a directive should not be given to ban the broadcast of the Indian TV channel Republic Bangla in Bangladesh.
A High Court bench led by Justice Fahmida Kader issued on Sunday (June 22) following a preliminary hearing on a related writ petition.
The court has asked the information secretary and other concerned parties to respond to the rule within four weeks.
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Earlier in November 2024, a legal notice was served seeking action against Republic Bangla, calling for the prohibition and blocking of its news and content within Bangladesh.
The notice was sent to the secretaries of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Ministry of Home Affairs, the secretary of the ICT Division, and the chairman of BTRC.
Supreme Court lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan sent the notice.
The notice said that Republic Bangla, an Indian television channel, broadcasts its news and content via satellite as well as on social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. However, it alleges that this channel routinely spreads anti-Bangladesh propaganda, disseminates false information, and conspires to destabilize Bangladesh's law and order.
Additionally, it claims that Republic Bangla continuously spreads rumours aimed at inciting Hindu-Muslim communal conflicts within Bangladesh.
According to the notice, the Republic Bangla is conducting a media onslaught against Bangladesh with dishonest intentions, posing a threat to both national and public security.
