Islamic TV
Television channel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Islamic TV (Bengali: ইসলামিক টিভি) is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable religious television channel launched in April 2007.[2] It is headquartered in the Hatirpool neighborhood of Dhaka.[3] One of the founders of the channel was its owner Sayeed Iskander, the younger brother of the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.[4][5]
 | |
| Country | Bangladesh |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | National |
| Headquarters | Hatirpool, Dhaka |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Broadcast Islamic World |
| Key people | Nasreen Sayeed[1] |
| History | |
| Launched |
|
| Closed | 6 May 2013 (original) |
| Links | |
| Website | islamictv |
It is the first and currently the only television channel in Bangladesh dedicated to religious programming.[6] The channel also broadcasts entertainment and news programming.[7] In 2013, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission shut Islamic TV down, along with Diganta TV.[8][9] Islamic TV resumed broadcasts in January 2026.[10]
History
Closure
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission forced Islamic TV to cease transmissions on 6 May 2013, at about 2:30 am.[11][12] According to managing director of the channel Shams Eskander, law and order forces went to the headquarters of Islamic TV and destroyed broadcasting equipments and vandalised the office.[13] This was followed by the closure of Diganta Television on the same day. According to Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, it was taken off the air because its reporting on the raid on Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh contained "irresponsible exaggerations and misinformation to inflame public opinion, a violation of the conditions of its license."[14][15]
Critics have alleged this an instance of the Sheikh Hasina government of using the Islamist issue to silence dissidents.[6] Although the channels were shut down, their licenses have not been revoked. Former Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasanul Haq Inu stated that no fixed decision was made regarding the licenses of Diganta Television and Islamic TV, calling both of them "riot instigators" while stating the reason behind the ban, which was incitement against the government.[16][17][18] The chairman and founding director of Islamic TV, Sardar Sahabuddin Mintu, died on 25 October 2015, two years after the channel was shut down.[6]
Relaunch
On 8 August 2024, Dhaka Reporters Unity demanded immediate reinstation of all unjustly closed media outlets in Bangladesh, including Islamic TV, following the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina after anti-government protests.[19] Work had been underway to officially relaunch the television channel.[1] It returned to broadcasting in late January 2026.[10]