Don’t broadcast Sheikh Hasina speeches: Bangladesh warns its media outlets

Bangladesh authorities have issued a stern warning to media outlets, threatening action if they broadcast statements made by Sheikh Hasina, the chief of the banned Awami League party. The caution comes after a segment of the Bangladeshi media covered an interview Hasina gave to an Indian news channel, during which she declared her intention to return to the country this year.

Zahed Ur Rahman, the prime ministerial adviser for information and broadcast, stated at a press conference that there is no room for the Awami League to conduct political activities, whether independently or through a rebranded entity. He emphasized that broadcasting Hasina's statements is inappropriate while a court ban remains in effect, noting that media outlets doing so are defying court orders.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's main opposition party, Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), and its ally, the National People's Party (NCP), have announced separate month-long programs. These initiatives, starting in early July, are intended to mark the second anniversary of an 'uprising' and to press demands, including the expedited trial of those responsible for killings during that period.