26 Mar 12 | Asia and Pacific, Index Index, minipost
A Bangladesh court last week ordered government authorities to shut down five Facebook pages and a website for blasphemous content. Judges at the high court in Dhaka ordered the telecommunications regulator, home ministry officials and police to block the offending content after two university lecturers filed a lawsuit complaining that the pages and the site were hurting people’s religious sentiments. The pages were deemed to contain “disparaging remarks and cartoons” about the Prophet Mohammed, Jesus, the Koran, Lord Buddha and Hindu gods. In 2010, Facebook was temporarily blocked on charges of malicious propaganda against the Prime Minister and hurting religious feelings.
13 Feb 12 | Index Index, minipost
Two Bangladeshi television journalists have been murdered in Dhaka. Sagar Sarwar, news editor for private TV station Maasranga, and his wife, Meherun Runi, from another private station ATN Bangla were stabbed to death in the early hours of Saturday morning. The well known couple were found by their five-year-old son, who called relatives living nearby. A senior detective told local newspapers that preliminary investigations suggested that the killings had been planned and that the couple had probably known their attackers.
25 Nov 11 | Asia and Pacific, Index Index, minipost
The news editor of an online news agency has been released on bail after being held for nearly four months. Ekramul Haq, the editor of recently closed Sheershanews.com, was released from jail in Dhaka at around 4pm, local time, after he was granted bail by the lower court. Haq was arrested on suspicion of extorting Tk 20 lakh (around £17,000) from Chittagong businessman Gias Uddin Talukdar on July 30.
12 Sep 11 | Index Index, minipost
Bangladesh‘s government has passed a new broadcast law which will censor TV programmes and movies. The law, which will go into effect in three months’ time, prevents the broadcasting of content depicting non-Muslim holidays, as well as “kiss scenes” in films on foreign channels.
