HC asks govt to report its actions

The High Court (HC) yesterday asked the government to submit by December 12 the actions taken following recommendations by the designated commission on giving autonomy to state-run Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television (BTV).
The previous Awami League government had constituted the 16-member 'Commission for Framing Rules and Regulations for the Autonomy of Bangladesh Television (Radio-TV Autonomy Commission)' in September 1996.
A division bench comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury passed the order during the course of rule-hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by Odhikar, a leading human rights watchdog.
On November 19, 2000, a HC division bench, following a PIL writ petition, issued a rule upon the government to explain why a direction should not be given to consider for implementing the June 30, 1997 report submitted by the commission for the formulation of rules and regulations for the autonomy of BTV and Betar.
The recommendations of the commission included formation of an independent National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) making it accountable only to the parliamentary standing committee on information.
The recommendations also said that the NBC would administer both Betar and BTV, approve the budgets for the two electronic media so that they could function with their own income.
The recommendations also included that a standard committee would be
formed by the NBC to monitor satellite and terrestrial programmes, and take actions against violation of the guidelines.
Another recommendation said that news value would replace protocol value when it comes to news coverage.
Advocate Adilur Rahman Khan appeared for Odhikar while deputy attorney general Nazrul Islam Talukder stood for the government.