Viewers vexed as foreign TV channels blocked
Since the cable companies of the country have stopped broadcasting international TV channels on Monday and viewers were furious that they could not catch their favorite shows. In accordance with a decision of the government that shows with ads on international channels can't be broadcast in Bangladesh. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said mobile courts would be run to allow ads-free (clean feed) broadcasting of international TV channels starting October 1. However, the Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (COAB) claims it's not possible to transmit foreign television channels through cutting ads. They have therefore stopped the broadcast. It has angered viewers. "I spend my weekend watching sports and international news... I'm not finding any entertaining programmes in the channels now," said Taposh Barua, a senior employee of a private firm. "I'm an avid football fan and like me there are thousan