BTRC starts removing Tarique’s speeches from social media

Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has started its initiatives to remove the statements of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman from all the social media including YouTube and Face book.

Barrister Khandker Reza-E-Raquib, a counsel for the BTRC, on Tuesday told the High Court that the organisation has started its initiatives following the High Court order passed regarding the issue.

He said, “After receiving a lawyer certificate a team of the BTRC officials started their job to remove Tarique Rahman’s statements from all kind of social media. Hopefully, it will be possible to remove all the links of Tarique Rahman’s statements from social media within a few days.”

Following a petition the HC Bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Khairul Alam on August 28 asked the BTRC to take effective steps to remove the statements of Tarique Rahman, who is absconding in the eyes of the law, from all kinds of social media.
The HC decision angered the BNP-backed Supreme Court lawyers.

They shouted saying that they have submitted a petition to the chief justice expressing no confidence in Justice Md Khasuzzaman and therefore, he cannot deal with the matter.

However, overriding the objections of the pro-BNP lawyers, the HC Bench passed its order.

Supreme Court lawyer Nashreen Siddiqua Lina placed the petition seeking HC directives to remove Tariuqe Rahman’s speeches from the social media.

The lawyer filed a writ petition on January 6 in 2015 seeking its directives to restrict publicising Tarique Rahman’s statements.

Following the writ petition the High Court on January 7 in 2015 ordered the government to immediately take steps to stop publicising BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s statements in the print, electronic and social media as long as he remains a fugitive.

In the petition, Nashreen said Tarique RAhman, being a fugitive accused, had been making abusive and seditious statements about Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, violating the Constitution.

Tarique Rahman is a fugitive in the eyes of the law as he did not surrender to any court although several arrest warrants have been issued for him in different cases, the petitioner said.

He even termed the Father of the Nation a Razakar, a friend of Pakistan and a man of corrupt disposition, Nashreen added.

Along with the petition, she submitted clippings of newspaper reports on Tarique’s recent speeches.