Dhaka, April 29 (Inditop.com) The management of Channel 1, a private TV channel that was shut down Tuesday, has said it was “ready to take legal steps against the government move”.
The government Tuesday evening clamped a moratorium on the Channel 1 transmission for using rented broadcasting equipment in violation of the law.
Channel 1 director Mazidul Islam claimed that they own the equipment that was mortgaged to Prime Bank.
“We are getting ready to take legal steps against the government move,” Mazidul Islam said.
Channel 1 was established June 1, 2005 and it started broadcasting Jan 24, 2006 with 400 employees.
The channel’s founder Giasuddin Al Mamun is known as a close associate of opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s politician-son Tarique Rahman.
The Daily Star newspaper in an editorial Thursday said the government’s action was “arbitrary, abrupt and detracting from the spirit of free media.
“…closing down of a television channel by an administrative fiat based on a technical, rather than any substantive point, doesn’t seem to be consistent with the notion of fair-play.”
