Islamic TV was a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable religious television channel launched in April 2007. It was headquartered in the Hatirpool neighborhood of Dhaka. One of the founders of the channel was its owner Sayeed Iskander, the younger brother of the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. In 2013, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission shut Islamic TV down, along with Diganta TV. Prior to its shutdown, it was Bangladesh's only television channel dedicated to religious programming. The channel also broadcast entertainment and news programming.

History

Closure

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission forced Islamic TV to cease transmissions on 6 May 2013, at about 2:30am. According to director Shams Iskandar, law and order forces went to the headquarters of Islamic TV and locked the broadcasting room half an hour earlier. 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." Critics have alleged this an instance of the Sheikh Hasina government of using the Islamist issue to silence dissidents. The chairman and founder director of Islamic TV, Sardar Sahabuddin Mintu, died on 25 October 2015. Although the channels were shut down, their licenses have not been revoked.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. 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.