Bangladesh court orders BTRC to remove Al Jazeera report, “All the Prime Minister’s Men”

The High Court has ordered Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to take steps to remove an Al Jazeera report, titled “All the Prime Minister’s Men”, from the internet.

However, the court did not issue any order over an appeal to ban the broadcast of the Doha-based channel in Bangladesh.

The virtual High Court bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order on Wednesday following the hearing of six amici curiae and the statement from the state’s chief law officer on Wednesday.

The top court also ordered the BTRC to take steps to remove the video content from all social media streams both nationally and internationally.

SEDITION CHARGES

An appeal for a sedition case has been filed against Al Jazeera Television to a Dhaka court over the Doha-based broadcaster’s report, “All the Prime Minister's Men”.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ashek Imam will issue an order once the plaintiff’s hearing ends.

Sedition charges require an approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In this case, “the court can make any decision at its own discretion when it comes to approvals”, according to plaintiff lawyer Abdul Malek alias Moshiur Malek.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Hemayet Uddin Khan Hiron told bdnews24.com, “An approval is a must to take the case into cognizance and the court can arrange that within its jurisdiction.”

Al Jazeera Media Network Acting Director General Mostefa Souag, Zulkarnain Shayer Khan alias Sami, Netra News Editor Tasneem Khalil and British journalist David Bergman.

The petition states that the accused have engaged in anti-state crimes by carrying out propaganda against Bangladesh and the state in the international arena.

The report published “anti-state information and lies about the government” and was widely spread on YouTube, defaming the government and tarnishing the dignity of the state, according to the petition.