Jamuna Television (Bengali: যমুনা টেলিভিশন; lit.'Jamuna Television'), commonly known as Jamuna TV, stylized as jamuna|tv, is a privately owned Bangladeshi satellite and cable news and current affairs television channel. It is owned by the Jamuna Group, and was founded by the company's founder and former chairman Nurul Islam Babul in 2014.[4] The channel's headquarters are located in the Jamuna Future Park Complex at Progoti Shoroni in Baridhara.In YouTube, it's the second most subscribed bangladeshi youtube channel after SOMOY TV.[5][6]
History
In 2002, Jamuna Television was granted an NOC certificate to broadcast for five years. They were given rights to broadcast both on terrestrial and satellite television. In 2005, without explanation, the BNP-led government revoked its broadcasting rights, and after the High Court permitted Jamuna Television to broadcast, the government appealed against the decision.[7] On 29 July 2013, the channel was once again granted a license to relaunch.[8] Jamuna Television was officially launched on 5 April 2014. British foreign correspondent Simon Dring, who was previously the managing director of Ekushey Television, joined the channel as a staff member.[9]
Jamuna Television was one of the nine Bangladeshi television channels to sign an agreement with Bdnews24.com to subscribe to a video-based news agency run by children called Prism in May 2016.[10] In December 2018, journalists working for Jamuna Television and Jugantor were attacked in the Nawabganj upazila of Dhaka, injuring 10 people.[11] Jamuna Television was temporarily taken off-air during the 2018 Bangladeshi general election.[12]
In January 2019, three journalists working for Jamuna Television were assaulted by eight to ten people in a rehabilitation center in Bogra. Police have arrested three suspects allegedly involved in the incident.[13] On 19 May 2019, Jamuna Television, along with five other channels, began broadcasting via the Bangabandhu-1 satellite after signing an agreement with BSCL.[14][15] On 5 March 2022, Fahim Ahmed was appointed as the CEO of Jamuna Television.[16]
Controversies
The television station got license from Government in 2002.[17] The license was canceled by the government. Later after the order of the Supreme Court, the license was restored and the work started. BTRC cancels frequency as test broadcast continues.[18] In 2010, the High Court ruled that the government order to stop broadcasting of Jamuna TV was valid. Bangladesh's telecommunications regulator BTRC stopped broadcasting Jamuna TV on November 19, 2009, after more than a month of test broadcasts.[19] In 2015, telecommunications company Grameenphone filed a lawsuit against the media. In 2015, a program called Investigation 360 was accused of defaming the then Environment Minister Hasan Mahmud for airing a report related Climate Fund.[20] A defamation case was filed against the mass media under sections 501 and 502 for the investigative report that 35 crore taka was spent on the construction of the Sheikh Russell Aviary Park in Rangunia from the Climate Fund.[21] On November 6, 2016, Jamuna TV's senior reporter Shakil Hasan and video-journalist Shaheen Alam were attacked while reporting on an illegal polythene bag manufacturing factory at Devidas Lane in Chawkbazar, Dhaka. An attempt was made to set the journalist on fire by pouring kerosene on him. In 2018, the PRAN-RFL group filed a lawsuit. Ravi and the National Board of Revenue filed a case. Jamuna Television's cable broadcast was stopped in the wake of the 11th National Assembly elections held on December 30, 2018.[22][23] In late 2019, Jamuna TV promoted Bangladeshi Islamic scholar Azizul Haque as a militant leader. Later, in the face of criticism, Jamuna TV authorities apologized. In 2021, BD Thai Cosmo Limited sued Jamuna TV for 65 crore rupees. BD Thai Cosmo Limited is a company owned by Ryan Hameed, nephew of Health Minister of Bangladesh Government Zahed Malek. On 3 May 2021, Jamuna TV journalist Noornavi Sarkar was booked under the Digital Security Act for a report on the corruption of Deputy Secretary Mahbub Hasan Shaheen, which was later suspended by the High Court. The subject of the report was that Deputy Secretary Mahbub Hasan Shaheen is a US citizen. Also a citizen of Bangladesh. According to the constitution and laws of Bangladesh, he cannot hold a government job with dual citizenship. He bought a house in the United States using money from Bangladesh through corruption.
