ETV men urge PM to grant broadcasting licence again

"We are skilled and trained professionals, we have modern technology and we want to work for the ETV. Please issue licence to the ETV," said Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul, news editor of ETV, in an appeal to the prime minister while speaking at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday.

Reporters, workers and employees, who have been working with the ETV for the last 10 months since the TV station was shut down after the Supreme Court revoked its broadcasting licence, said they did not appear at the press conference on behalf of the ETV management.

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"But we came here to the press asETV employees with an appeal to the prime minister to issue licence to the ETV so that we can again come in front of our viewers soon," said Bulbul.

The ETV now has a new management and Abdus Salam, who became its chairman, is paying salary to the staff from his personal fund, as all accounts of the ETV have been frozen.

They said the ETV management had sought licence for both terrestrial and satellite channels. "It is up to the government to decide which system it would allow for the ETV ... but we are equipped with the latest technology and efficient staff to operate both systems," Bulbul said.

Israrul Haque, Sultana Khan, Mithila Farzana, Kawsar Mahmud, Shakil Ahmed, Shahnaz Munni, Partha Tanvir, Tushar Abdullah, Ahmed Jubair and Ibrahim Azad -- all of them ETV staff -- were, among others, present at the press conference.