An application has been filed with the High Court seeking its directive to remove recent speeches and statements of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman from all media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

At the same time, an instruction has been sought from Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to halt the broadcasting of Tarique’s speeches across all media platforms.

The petition was filed with the High Court bench comprising of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Khairul Alam on Monday (August 28).

Lawyers Nasrin Siddiqui Lina, Kamrul Islam and Sanjida Khanam filed the petition.

Earlier on August 10, the High Court directed the submission of a supplementary application that correctly stated the London address of the defendant, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, in the writ petition aimed at halting the broadcasting of his speeches across all media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Previously, in 2015, lawyer Nasreen Siddiqui Lina filed a writ petition with the relevant branch of the Supreme Court seeking to prevent the publication of Tarique Rahman’s speeches in the media.

The plaintiff requested the information secretary to take effective measures to prevent the future publication, distribution, broadcast, or reproduction of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique’s speeches through any newspapers, electronic media, or social media.

The writ petition includes the information ministry secretary, home ministry secretary, law ministry secretary, inspector general of police, director general of BTV, chairman of BTRC, chief news editor of Ekushey TV, editor of Kaler Kantha, and Tarique Rahman as defendants.

On January 7, 2015, the High Court banned the publication of Tarique Rahman’s statements in the media as he was a fugitive accused, following a hearing of the writ petition.

The court also issued a ruling in this regard, questioning why the information secretary should not be directed to prohibit the publication of Tarique’s speeches. The defendants were required to respond to this ruling.

The then High Court bench, composed of Justice Kazi Reza-ul Haque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman, issued these orders.