BD HC asks 71 TV to submit video clip of PK Halder’s interview

PK Halder

Bangladesh Desk: The High Court on Wednesday directed all media not to publish or broadcast conversations of any absconding accused until a further order issued in this regard.

The court also asked 71 TV authorities to submit to it on January 10 its video clip of fugitive former NRB Global Bank managing director Proshanta Kumar Halder, who appeared in the TV’s live talk-show on Monday night.

The online bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel issued the directive after Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan prayed for contempt proceedings against 71 TV for airing the interview of PK Halder, a fugitive accused.

Khurshid said that Halder was accused of embezzling over Tk 10,000 crore allegedly by taking out loans from different financial institutions in the name of companies owned by him and his family members.

He told the High Court that the media can’t broadcast or publish interviews of a fugitive person and there is a standing directive issued earlier by the High Court not to broadcast or publish interviews of a fugitive accused.

Khurshid also said that he was invited to join the 71 TV live talk-show online but he left the show immediately after knowing that PK Halder took part in the talk-show.

He said that the government on the appeal from the ACC requested the INTERPOL to arrest Halder and bring him back to the country to face trial on the embezzlement charge.

The High Court on December 9 asked the ACC to submit by January 3 a report on the progress of probe into the embezzlement case filed against Halder.

The court also asked the ACC and the government to inform it by January 3 about the progress of sending PK Halder’s arrest warrant to the INTERPOL through the home ministry.

Earlier on November 26, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s court judge KM Imrul Kayesh issued a warrant for Halder’s arrest and sent the order to the home ministry.