News Broadcasting
Bangla channel ETV gets some respite as review petition set for 24 August
MUMBAI: ETV, Bangladesh’s first private terrestrial television channel, which is under threat of closure from the authorities, has again managed to get some breathing time from the country’s apex appeals court.
The Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Mainur Reza Chowdhury, in its order issued yesterday, decreed that it could to continue broadcast till 24 August, the new date set for disposal of a review petition, Bangladesh’s The Independent, reported today.
According to The Independent, the Appellate Division had earlier stayed its own order of upholding the verdict of a High Court Division Bench that declared the agreement between ETV and the government without any lawful authority and allowed the ETV’s prayer for filing a review petition and also allowed five weeks to do so.
The court accepted ETV’s plea that it could not file the review petition as it “did not get the certified copy of the court’s order.”
The High Court had earlier found irregularities in the existing agreement between ETV and the government and held that the granting of licence to ETV was done without any lawful authority. The Appellate Division on 2 July allowed ETV five weeks to file a review petition against its (court) order.
If the Appellate Division finally does uphold the verdict of the High Court, ETV would have to shut down its telecasts till issuance of a fresh licence by the government.
The writ petition against the ETV was filed by two Dhaka University teachers and the president of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Gias Kamal Chowdhury, on 19 September, 2001 challenging the legality of the ETV-government agreement.
ETV was launched on the basis of an agreement signed between the Ministry of Information and AS Mahmud, Chairman of the company, on March 9, 1999.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
