By IANS,
Dhaka : At least three satellite television channels in Bangladesh were Monday blanked out ahead of a rally held by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a media report said.
Viewers could not watch Ekushey Television, Bangla Vision and Islamic TV from around 3 p.m., the Daily Star reported.
Officials from the channels confirmed that the government asked the Cable Operators’ Association of Bangladesh (COAB) to suspend the telecast of the opposition rally as the channels were planning to broadcast live footage.
Though a COAB member acknowledged receiving the instruction from the government, Jehsanul Islam, a government-appointed administrator for the COAB, denied any government role in blanking out the three channels.
“I cannot say why this happened,” Islam was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the BNP Monday set a 90-day ultimatum for the government to restore the caretaker government system by amending the constitution.
The opposition also called a dawn-to-dusk countrywide strike March 29 protesting the government’s attempts to bar its activists from joining Monday’s rally.
The caretaker government system was abolished by parliament last year.