The High Court on Wednesday appointed six lawyers as amici curiae (friends of the court) for opinions about the writ petition filed seeking the court's directives to ban broadcasting of Qatar-based television channel Al-Jazeera in Bangladesh.
The six amicus curiae, AJ Mohammad Ali, Fida M Kamal, Abdul Matin Khasru, Kamal Ul Alam, Probir Neogi and Shahdeen Malik have been requested to give their opinions in the court on February 15.
The lawyers will say whether the writ petition seeking directives to stop the broadcasting of Al-Jazeera in Bangladesh is admissible and whether the court may order the closure of an international television channel in accordance with the prayer of the petition.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order after holding primary hearing on the petition.
The court asked the section concerned of the High Court division to send a copy of the order to the six amici curiae by Wednesday.
Writ petitioner Advocate M Enamul Kabir Emon himself took part in the hearing in support of the petition while Barrister Khandaker Reza-E-Raquib appeared for the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (BTRC) and deputy attorney general Nawroz Mohammad Russel Chowdhury represented the state.
The court fixed February 15 for further hearing on the case, said the deputy attorney general.
Supreme Court lawyer Emon filed the writ on Monday seeking High Court directives upon the authorities concerned to ban broadcasting of Al-Jazeera in the country and to remove the contents of a report titled "All the Prime Minister's Men" from all social media, including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
Al-Jazeera broadcasted the report on February 1 this year. But the government dismissed the report calling it "false and defamatory" and a desperate "smear campaign" instigated by extremists and their allies, working in London and elsewhere.
bikashju@gmail.com