Dhaka, June 12 (bdnews24.com) – Jamuna TV employees on Saturday declared a 13-day programme demanding resumption of the channel's operations.
Jamuna's director of news, Shah Alamgir, declared the programme at a press conference at the National Press Club.
"Telecasting of Jamuna TV could not be resumed even after seven months' struggle."
"Because of this, jobs and livelihood of more than 500 employees of the channel are at the brink of uncertainty," he read from a statement.
The government had shut down the test transmission of Jamuna TV on Nov 20, 2009 for not having government clearance.
Earlier in the evening, telecoms regulator BTRC in a message had asked Jamuna not to go on air without a 'no-objection' certificate.
"It has become impossible to keep patience under this cruel reality. So, we are being forced to launch a movement for the sake of our existence," Alamgir said Saturday.
He demanded immediate resumption of broadcasting.
The 13-day program, effective from June 13 to 25, was announced to press for their demand.
Discussions will take place with the representatives of professionals, intellectuals and civil society from June 12 to 18.
A human chain will be formed in front of the Press Club at 11am on June 14.
On June 19, a solidarity rally at the central Shaheed Minar is scheduled at around 11am.
They will conduct a signature campaign from June 20 to 24.
The programme also includes a sit-in at Press Club on June 25.
A rally will be held in front of the Press Club and a memorandum will be submitted to the prime minister on July 6.
On Nov 20, 2009, officer-in-charge of Badda Police Station told bdnews24.com that the transmission was stopped on the orders of the information ministry and BTRC.
BTRC chairman Zia Ahmed had said, "The information ministry told both Jamuna Television and us about the need to have prior permission from the ministry before going on air."
"When Jamuna continued with their transmission without the permission, the ministry asked us to cancel their frequency. We took measures in the evening," said he added.
Shah Alamgir had told bdnews24.com, "BTRC officials and police stopped our transmission without prior notice. They are not even allowing us to go inside the offices."
He had, however, acknowledged that they indeed had received the message faxed from the information ministry.
Alamgir said they had secured a licence in 2002 but the BNP government cancelled that.
"We resumed work after receiving the licence again on orders from the High Court and the Supreme Court. So, we do not need any new 'no objection' letter, he had claimed."
Jamuna TV authority had filed a petition with the High Court for permission to go on air on Nov 22, 2009.
The bench of justices Syed Mahmud Hossain and Gobinda Chandra Thakur upheld a government order to stop transmission of the private TV channel.
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