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Published : 19 Aug 2024, 06:44 PM
The High Court has ordered authorities to stop the broadcast of private television station Somoy TV for seven days.
The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Sashanka Shekhar Sarkar issued the order after hearing a writ petition filed by City Group, a partner of the channel, on Monday.
Advocate Ahsanul Karim represented the City Group at the hearing.
Addressing the media, Ahsanul said, “The writ petition over Somoy TV was filed today seeking a rule so that Somoy TV can broadcast news impartially, without any interference.
“Those who were discriminated against in the past are visiting the station and trying to vandalise it. In such a 'tense' situation, an interim order has been sought to shut down the channel for a week."
The hearing of a lawsuit among the television owners at the court’s company bench has been scheduled for Aug 22.
Lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon will represent City Group’s rival Ahmed Jobaer in the case.
Advocate Khokon said City Group owns 75 percent of Somoy TV while the remaining 25 percent is owned by another group. If one of these groups becomes MD, the other will be the chairman.
“City Group took an illegal decision several days ago, saying they are both the MD and the chairman.
“Jobaer, the former managing director of Somoy TV, was sacked according to the decision. A case challenging the decision is pending at the court’s company bench. They [City Group] have also contested the case.”
Khokon also alleged the City Group had filed the application by concealing the facts of the company bench lawsuit.
There cannot be two cases on the same issue, Khokon said, adding that Jobaer will appeal against the order at the High Court and inform it of the concealment of information.
“Everything on the issue will be settled at company court.”
However, advocate Ahsanul denied Khokan’s allegation of hiding information.
He said these two issues are different and that he had attached the company court case information in the writ petition.
Somoy Media Limited, the owning company of Somoy TV, announced a change in its top management on Aug 10.
Jobaer was removed from his position of managing director and CEO and replaced by Shampa Rahman. He later filed the lawsuit challenging the decision in the High Court.
