High Court refuses intervention over broadcast policy

A High Court bench has declined to hear a petition challenging the new National Broadcast Policy, saying the time for court’s intervention on the matter has not come.

Lawyer Yunus Ali Akand’s plea was put before the bench of Justices Sheikh Hassan Arif and Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman on Thursday.

The bench’s senior judge said many constitutional issues were related to the matter and suggested the petitioner move a regular bench.

The other judge pointed out that it was yet to be passed into a law or a policy.

“It is still premature. You should wait," he told Akand.

Petitioner Akand spoke for himself in court. The attorney general was present for the State.

The Cabinet, on Aug 4, approved the broadcast policy, which prohibits television and radio from broadcasting any news that may ‘taint the image of the country’s law keepers and the armed forces’ or spread communal violence.

On Aug 8, a gazette was issued.

Opposition BNP and a section of the media are stridently protesting against the policy.

Transparency International Bangladesh, a governance watchdog, has said the policy is aimed at controlling the media.

The government, on the other hand, is saying the policy is designed for the 'welfare' of the media.

The petitioner challenged the legality of the policy in court on Aug 18. He sought a rule asking why it would not be declared illegal.