Indian Satellite Channels Have Not Been Shut Down in Bangladesh
Claims have recently surfaced alleging that the Bangladeshi government has shut down the broadcasting of all Indian satellite TV channels. This claim gained traction following a report by the Indian television channel Republic Bangla, which claimed that from November 27, all Indian satellite TV channels would no longer be broadcast in Bangladesh. The claim was subsequently shared widely on social media platforms. However, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as well as the Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (COAB) confirmed to Dismislab that no such decision has been made by the Interim Government of Bangladesh.
On November 27, Republic Bangla aired a report titled, “Indian satellite channels shut down in Bangladesh!” The report is available on Republic Bangla’s YouTube channel and was also shared on its verified Facebook page. Clips of the report circulated on social media, amplifying the claim through various posts (1, 2, 3). Several pages (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) shared posts stating, “Broadcast of all Indian satellite channels has been shut down in Bangladesh starting today.” Many of these posts cited Republic Bangla as the source.
Republic Bangla broadcasted that, “The biggest breaking news of the moment. All satellite channels have been shut down in Bangladesh. You heard it right…The government of Muhammad Yunus has shut down Indian satellite channels. From today, the broadcast has been stopped…Why is Muhammad Yunus against the Indian media? Another example of anti-India sentiment. The Yunus government has set another precedent in Bangladesh. This will be written in the history. Everyone will remember. You are shutting down Indian satellite channels”
The report triggered diverse reactions on social media. Comments on the YouTube video included remarks like “Wake up Hindustan’s Hindus” and “Bangladesh on the verge of war.” Others praised the supposed decision, with one user writing, “Broadcasting has been shut down from today, a timely decision,” and another stating, “Pro-Indian sentiment started with cultural (Indian) aggression! By shutting these down, the demonstration of patriotism has begun.”
To verify the claim, Dismislab spoke to Kamrul Alam Shamim, Joint General Secretary of the Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (COAB). He clarified that no such decision has been made. The Indian channels that were previously broadcast, are still on air. We are also unaware of any such government directive.
Assistant Secretary Md. Firoz Khan of the TV-2 division under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also confirmed to Dismislab that no government order has been issued to shut down broadcasting Indian satellite channels.
This is not the first controversy surrounding Republic Bangla. On November 10, legal action was taken against the Indian channel Republic Bangla for spreading false propaganda against Bangladesh, and a legal notice was also sent to block and ban their news and content in Bangladesh.
