The High Court has imposed a ban on the media broadcast of statements, interviews and talk-show appearances of any convicted or fugitive suspects, including the absconding Proshanta Kumar Halder who is facing charges of gaining illegal wealth worth Tk 3.0 billion, reports bdnews24.com.
The restriction will apply to all types of media, including social media, and will remain in effect until the issuance of the next order or settlement of the rule related to PK Halder's case.
Ekattar TV broadcast the statement of the fugitive PK Haldar in the news at 10 pm on Monday and that night Ekattar Journal (talk show) linked PK Haldar live.
It came after Ekattor TV aired a statement of the Halder in its news broadcast at 10 pm Monday followed by a live interview of the fugitive later that night on the talk show 'Ekattor Journal'.
Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order in a virtual hearing on Wednesday.
The virtual bench also ordered the confiscation of the two clips, directing Ekattor TV to submit them to the court by Jan 10 after the matter was drawn to its attention by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan appeared on behalf of the ACC in court while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
Halder, a former managing director of NRB Global Bank, had contacted ILFSL recently and said he wanted to refund the money he had embezzled, but added he wanted protection as well, according to Mahfuzur Rahman Milon, the lawyer for the firm.
It subsequently presented the plea when the court was hearing a writ petition filed by seven clients of ILFSL for an order to get their money back.
After the initial hearing, the court on Jan 19 issued a travel ban and ordered the confiscation of passports of Halder and 18 others, including his family members and officials of the company.
Halder, however, had laundered the money abroad and fled to Canada by the time, according to media reports.