Broadcast policy challenged

A Supreme Court lawyer on Monday filed a writ petition with the High Court (HC) challenging the legality of the newly-formulated broadcast policy. The HC bench of justices Sheikh Hasan Arif and Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman have fixed Tuesday for hearing the petition, filed by Eunus Ali Akond, a senior lawyer of the apex court. The petitioner sought a rule asking why the broadcast policy should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional. The petition also sought another rule asking why the government should not be given a guideline about all sorts of broadcasts including talk shows in private and public TV channels. Beside, the petitioner sought to make the Cabinet Secretary and the Information Secretary respondents to the rule. On Aug 5, the cabinet approved the ‘National Broadcast Policy 2014’ aiming to restrict the airing of programmes that satirise national ideals and objectives, undermine people, and harm unity and solidarity of Bangladesh as an independent state. Two days later, a gazette was issued on the broadcast policy amid widespread criticism by media professionals and some political parties, according to a news agency.