Bangladesh has shut down an opposition-owned television channel for violating the country's telecommunications law, ignoring reporters' tearful pleas live on air, regulators said Wednesday. The popular Channel 1 was taken off the air late Tuesday after its licence was cancelled, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission said.
After the channel defaulted on a loan, its bank auctioned off broadcast equipment that had been used as collateral, the commission said in a statement. The loan arrangement was illegal as companies were not allowed to transfer ownership of broadcasting or satellite equipment without its approval, the commission said.
Channel 1, which began broadcasting in 2006, was originally controlled by controversial businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun, a close friend of Tareq Zia, the eldest son of main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Khaleda Zia. Mamun was jailed by the country's army-backed caretaker regime in 2007 and control of the channel was handed to lower-level BNP leaders. In recent months a key BNP stalwart has been given a position at the channel.
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