Dhaka, April 28 (bdnews24.com)—Channel 1 director Mazidul Islam pleaded for a last chance to rectify any problems that there might have been, a day after authorities knocked it off air over alleged breach of regulations.
The channel is going to be back on air within a few months, said Islam in a press briefing at the TV station's Gulshan office on Wednesday.
But he also said that Channel 1 would move the court over the decision to suspend its transmission.
The station started transmission on Jan 24, 2006 during the regime of BNP-led government.
"We are not against the government, nor are we above the law," he said.
"We want to run the television channel following rules and regulations."
Islam said that the channel had repaid Tk 2.6 crore against a bank loan of Tk 26.9 crore but after the arrest of Giasuddin Al Mamun, the process was stalled.
Mamun, one of the channel's founding directors, is known for his close association with BNP chief Khaleda Zia's elder son Tarique Rahman.
Mazidul Islam is the president of BNP's Khulna district committee.
He also said that the channel would continue with its regular activities even after going off the air and pay salaries for the next 6 months.
Unless the station comes back on air, he feared, they will not be able to pay salaries after the next six months.
Special reporter Keramat Ullah Biplob said that 400 employees of the channel will meet the prime minister with their plea.
Channel 1 never ran its transmission illegally, the director claimed.
Allegations about the change of ownership or auction of its equipment are not true, either, he added.
Islam. the director, said that One Entertainment Limited has full ownership of its equipment.
He also said that Prime Bank, who had financed the original purchase of the channel's equipment, had informed him that the equipment were still under the ownership of One Entertainment Limited.
He also said that he had not been able to take any measure as the channel was taken off the air within just a few hours of issuing the notice, which was hardly a warning.
He also hoped that the prime minister would consider Channel 1's plea.
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