Blow for Bangladesh TV station

ETV must now launch a last-ditch appeal

By Alastair Lawson BBC correspondent in Dhaka

The future of Bangladesh's only independent television station has been thrown into further doubt following a Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday.

ETV denies receiving any favours from the former premier

The court ordered that the influential Ekushey station, known as ETV, must appeal against closure within the next five weeks.

The court had earlier cancelled ETV's licence - but then revoked the decision following frantic legal submissions made by lawyers for the station.

It ordered lawyers for the television station to reappear in court next month to argue that the licence it received to broadcast was not obtained unfairly.

The days of Ekushey, which is also one of South Asia's only independent terrestrial television services, appear to be numbered.

Licence required

At one point on Tuesday, it looked as if ETV would have to close down immediately after the Supreme Court accepted arguments that the station did not win its licence fairly.

Bangladesh is a tough environment for broadcasters

It also said the whole process lacked transparency.

The case against the station has been brought by three individuals sympathetic to the governing coalition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

In legal action that has lasted several months, their lawyers argued that the company's licence should be revoked because it was improperly acquired from the previous government.

They argued that ETV failed to fill in the correct documentation at the time of getting its permit ahead of rival bids.

The company is accused of winning the licence only by making assurances to key members of the opposition Awami League, some of whom are major investors in ETV.

Accusations of bias

Supporters of the government argue that, as a result, its news and current-affairs coverage, has not been neutral.

They also argue that the station should not be allowed to use the facilities of state-run Bangladesh television unless it pays more money.

The company now has five weeks to launch a last-ditch appeal to the Supreme Court, otherwise it will no longer be allowed to broadcast and hundreds of jobs will be lost.

The court ruling has been described by the opposition as a major blow to editorial freedom in a country where the authorities maintain strict control over the electronic media.

Lawyers for the station, backed by the American banking firm, Citicorp, argue that if the licensing process is found to be defective, it can be replaced by another.

ETV managers warn that if it is forced to close down, foreign investors will lose millions of dollars.