The Appellate Division on Thursday permitted One Entertainment Company, the parent company of private broadcaster Channel One, to seek permission to appeal against a 2010 High Court verdict that upheld the cancellation of its broadcasting frequency by the then Awami League government.
The chamber judge, Justice Md Rezaul Haque, issued the order, allowing the company to become a party in the case.
Following this development, the company can now file a petition with the Appellate Division seeking permission to challenge the High Court ruling, which had endorsed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission鈥檚 decision to revoke Channel One鈥檚 authorisation to use frequency, earth stations, and SNG or flyaway equipment for broadcasting.
Channel One鈥檚 operations were abruptly shut down on April 27, 2010, following BTRC鈥檚 decision.
A director of the company in 2010 filed a writ petition challenging the BTRC 2010 decision and the High Court on May 16, 2010 summarily rejected the petition, upholding the government鈥檚 decision, the company鈥檚 lawyer Masum Billah told 抖阴精品.
He said that the company鈥檚 managing director, Gias Uddin Mamun, only learned about the details of the verdict after being released from jail following the collapse of Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 government during a student-led mass uprising on August 5, 2024.
The legal team representing One Entertainment Company, including lawyers Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Kazi Akhter Hossain, Palash Kumar Roy, and Masum Billah, argued that the BTRC鈥檚 decision was unjust and that Channel One was not given an opportunity to defend itself.
