A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Monday challenging the legality of the recently published National Broadcast Policy-2014.
A Supreme Court lawyer, Eunus Ali Akond filed the writ petition with the concerned section of the High Court on Monday, praying to consider the broadcast policy illegal and unconstitutional.
The petition sought a rule asking why the National Broadcast Policy should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional. Besides, it 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.
The petition also sought to make the Cabinet Secretary and the Information Secretary respondents to the rule.
The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman will hear the petition on Tuesday.
In his writ petition, the petitioner mentioned that the National Broadcast Policy is contradictory to the articles 11, 26, 27, 31 and 39 of the Constitution.
On August 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.
On August 7, the Information Ministry issued the gazette notification on the National Broadcast Policy 2014 amid widespread criticism by media professionals and some political parties.
