Indian pay channels, specifically these belonging to the Star group, have been blacked out by cable operators in Bangladesh since Nov 4.
Customers complain that they’ve paid for these channels however not acquired their sign due to the boycott by Bangladesh cable operators spearheaded by Anwar Parvez.
The cable operators have been refusing to pay their large dues to the pay channel supplier Jadoo Imaginative and prescient Ltd, however they’ve already collected full cost from the shoppers nationwide.
Parvez has additionally threatened Kunal Deshmukhya, an Indian nationwide and the chief government officer (CEO) of Jadoo Imaginative and prescient, which gives greater than 280 channels within the nation.
Parvez additionally teased Jadoo Imaginative and prescient by calling it ‘Assam Imaginative and prescient’, as Kunal Deshmukhya is from Assam.
Speaking to Dhaka journalists, Parvez stated Kunal, except he apologises for being pushy, ought to depart Bangladesh or face stringent motion below the Foreigners Act.
However Parvez’s rival group in Cable Operators Affiliation of Bangladesh (COAB) refused to endorse his motion.
“Coordination Committee” of COAB led by Syed Mosharraf Ali Chanchal and different former leaders have ‘disowned’ Parvez in a press convention.
There are 30 million cable TV subscribers in Bangladesh whose month-to-month invoice vary between Taka 200 to 600 monthly and the annual quantity of collections by Cable Operators on common stands round Taka 7200 crore.
However Bangladesh authorities merely will get an annual income of oy Taka 25 crores from Cable Operators.
Chanchal has informed Dhaka journalists that solely a ‘ very small part’ of Cable Operators ( complete: 600) have aligned themselves to Parvez’s COAB Unity Council.
“They’ve introduced up some undesirable points at completely different occasions,” Chanchal alleged. ” We consider in fixing issues by means of dialogue. If we failed to unravel this disaster, the shoppers might be depending on Sky (DTH) and IP TV.”
Many of the Cable operators had been urged to chorus from the boycott of Indian Channels ” within the pursuits of the shoppers” as Chanchal stated the Indian channels, specifically Star group ones had been highly regarded within the nation.
“Most of us aren’t in any approach supporting the Star Channel boycott motion,” stated Chanchal.
COAB has no legitimate board of administrators for lengthy interval.
Jadoo Imaginative and prescient, which markets the Indian channels in Bangladesh, stated “large unpaid dues’ by cable operators hits on the coronary heart of their budiness”.
“We now have to pay up the TV firms as distributors. A number of the operators are pirating the channels and we are able to’t permit these unlawful practices. We’re in authorized enterprise,” Jadoo Imaginative and prescient Kunal Deshmukhya informed the Dhaka media on Monday night time.
He alleged Parvez and his supporters have used ‘completely different excuses’ to keep away from paying their dues.
“They’re trying to forcefully accumulate all of the payments from cable operators below the banner of ‘One Alliance’, which is against the law,” Kunal stated.
“We now have all the time been eager to settle all the problems. We’re all the time open to barter with prepared operators concerning the cost of the payments,” he added.
“Large cost of the cable operators is due. We now have tried to unravel their issues by discussing them at completely different occasions,” he stated.
However Kunal alleged that some like Parvez try to pressure cable operators throughout Bangladesh to gather their payments unethically by means of a corporation referred to as “One Alliance”. That is unethical, he insisted.
“Well timed billing is a should to maintain the enterprise afloat. That is what they’re disrupting. Although Jadu Imaginative and prescient has not elevated the subscription prices, these parts try to mislead cable operators of the nation by spreading rumors,” Kunal informed the Dhaka media.
