HC Orders BTRC to Remove Tarique Rahman’s Videos, Audios from Social Media

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has been ordered by the High Court to take down remarks by BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman from social media.

The decision was made on Monday, August 28, by the High Court panel of Justices Md. Khasruzzaman and Md. Khairul Alam.

The High Court mandated that the subject of prohibiting the broadcasting of Tarique Rahman's comments on media and social media be included on the agenda of today's hearing on August 22.

Before this, the notice of the rule was sent to Tarique Rahman's Gulshan address which was mentioned in the writ. It was also published on the notice board of the Supreme Court and in a national daily.

However, BNP's lawyers told the court that the address to which the notice was sent in Gulshan is not the last address of Tarique Rahman. He is now in London so the notice must be sent to that address. However, the court said, as per the law, the petitioners have sent notices.

In 2015, Supreme Court lawyer Nasreen Siddiqui Lina filed a petition seeking a ban on the speech of BNP Acting Chairman (then Senior Vice Chairman) Tarique Rahman due to his various comments on the history of Bangladesh and Bangabandhu.

After holding a hearing on the writ, the high court bench of Justice Quazi Reza-ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Saifur Rahman issued an interim order along with the rule. 

The High Court's rule asked why instructions will not be given to prohibit the publication of Tarique Rahman's speeches. Information secretary, some secretary, law secretary, inspector general of police, director general of BTV, chairman of BTRC, chief news editor of Ekushe TV, editor of Kaler Kantha and Tarique Rahman were asked to respond to the ruling.