Dhaka: Bangladesh's military-backed government has banned broadcast of live talk shows by television channels, in the first such crackdown on media after the anti-emergency protests by students in August.

The Information Ministry sent a letter to Ekushey TV asking it to avoid all live talk shows, head of news of the first territorial private TV channel of the country Shah Alamgir told PTI today. "We stopped all our live shows from Thrusday night as the authorities asked us again over the phone not to telecast live shows," he said.

"The ministry gave the letter by hand only to us but sent it to other channels through fax," Shah claimed. Authorities had imposed a ban on telecast of talk show during the countrywide campus violence against emergency in August last year. The government lifted the restriction on nine-point condition and also asked the channels to "maintain self-censorship" during the state of emergency.

Channel 1, another private TV channel, owned by Giasuddin al Mamun has cut a section of audience questions from its live talk show Nirbachito Khobor. Mamun is a close associate of Tarique Rahman, elder son of former premier Khaleda Zia. All three are currently in jail. The interim government was installed with crucial military support on January 11, 2007 after imposition of emergency and cancellation of January elections following months of political turmoil.

Source : PTI