CSB News knocked off the air

The government Thursday halted transmission of the country's first 24-hour news channel, CSB News, and asked its authorities to respond to an official notice in seven days. The order was implemented at 6:35pm after four officials of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission visited the private station's headquarters in Uttara with a notice that asked for the suspension. The initial halt would remain effective for seven days, Hummam Quader Chowdhury, director of the Focus Multimedia Limited that owns the station, told bdnews24.com. "BTRC officials told us to respond to the notice in seven days. CSB will remain off the air at least for seven days," he said. He quoted a BTRC official as saying that it would be decided, based on an explanation from CSB, if the station would be switched off permanently. Kazi Runa, a reporter for the private TV station, earlier told bdnews24.com by phone: "BTRC officials came to our office and shut transmission." The station went on the no-or-bad signal mode immediately after its transmission was cut off. A BTRC official told bdnews24.com, asking not to be named: "We have sent a notice to CSB about it." Updates 1 with more details

Dhaka, Sept 6 (bdnews24.com) – The government Thursday halted transmission of the country's first 24-hour news channel, CSB News, and asked its authorities to respond to an official notice in seven days.

The order was implemented at 6:35pm after four officials of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission visited the private station's headquarters in Uttara with a notice that asked for the suspension.

The initial halt would remain effective for seven days, Hummam Quader Chowdhury, director of the Focus Multimedia Limited that owns the station, told bdnews24.com.

"BTRC officials told us to respond to the notice in seven days. CSB will remain off the air at least for seven days," he said.

He quoted a BTRC official as saying that it would be decided, based on an explanation from CSB, if the station would be switched off permanently.

Kazi Runa, a reporter for the private TV station, earlier told bdnews24.com by phone: "BTRC officials came to our office and shut transmission."

The station went on the no-or-bad signal mode immediately after its transmission was cut off.

A BTRC official told bdnews24.com, asking not to be named: "We have sent a notice to CSB about it."

The channel started broadcasting on March 26 and it earned a reputation in covering big news such as the arrests of two former prime ministers, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.

An official, meanwhile, said that the information ministry had earlier formed a probe committee to look into the frequency allotment to the station. The committee reportedly found that the channel authorities forged the frequency certificate.

But the claim could not be confirmed from any high government policymaker.

Last month, the government had warned the CSB News for "breaching emergency rules".

"Several news items broadcast by the two TV channels breached the emergency rules. The notices will be served for this. The government will take action if they continue to do so," law adviser Mainul Hosein had told bdnews24.com on Aug 23.

Another private TV station, ETV, also faced the same warning from the government.

In a statement last month, the Press Information Department quoting an official order said the two TV stations had run "provocative news, video footage and talk shows against the government" for the last few days.

But neither the PID statement nor the adviser in the phone interview explained which news item of the TV channels had exactly breached the emergency rules.

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