Ananda TV

Ananda TV, also known by the acronym ATV, is a privately owned Bangladeshi television channel broadcasting in Bengali. Its name is derived from the Bengali word for joy, and the channel was introduced with the slogan “Hridoyer Kotha Bole,” meaning “Tells the sayings of the heart.” The service is headquartered in the Chairman Bari area of Banani in Dhaka and operates as a satellite and cable broadcaster focused on a mixture of news and entertainment programming. The channel’s development began before its eventual on-air launch. It was initially licensed under the name ATV by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission in November 2013, and its frequency allocation was granted in January 2015. The launch was subsequently delayed because of financial difficulties and management problems. Ananda TV began test transmissions on 24 January 2018 and was later permitted to commence official transmissions in February. A launch press conference was held at the channel’s headquarters on 10 March 2018, followed by the formal start of broadcasting on 11 March. At its launch, Ananda TV presented itself as a Bengali cultural broadcaster as well as a general television service. Its stated ambition included presenting Bengali culture and heritage to viewers in the spirit of Bangladesh’s Liberation War. The launch event was attended by Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former chairman Hasan Taufique Abbas, former managing director Nurul Islam, and founder Abbas Ullah Shikder. Shikder was known as the producer of the popular 1989 Bangladeshi film Beder Meye Josna and remained associated with the channel’s founding history until his death in January 2020. Ananda TV expanded its distribution through satellite transmission, beginning carriage via Bangladesh’s Bangabandhu-1 satellite in 2019. This complemented its cable distribution and supported its role as a national Bengali-language channel. Publicly available descriptions characterize its programming broadly as news and entertainment rather than identifying a single narrowly defined genre or format. Specific ownership arrangements, financial performance, current executive structure, and audience metrics are not established in the supplied reference material. The channel has also experienced operational disruption and legal scrutiny. A fire occurred in the building housing Ananda TV on 21 August 2021. In August 2025, former chairman Hasan Taufique Abbas was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in connection with a fraud case filed in 2023 by the channel’s former managing director Nurul Islam. The available material does not establish the outcome of that case. Ananda TV’s documented identity therefore rests on its Bengali-language news-and-entertainment format, its delayed transition from licensing to broadcasting, and its stated emphasis on Bengali culture and national heritage.

Ananda TV’s institutional history began with regulatory authorization rather than immediate broadcasting. The channel was initially licensed as ATV by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission in November 2013. Its frequency allocation followed in January 2015. Despite those steps, the service did not launch promptly. The available account attributes the delay to financial problems and mismanagement, without providing detailed financial statements or identifying the specific management decisions involved. The channel eventually moved toward operation under the Ananda TV name. Test transmissions commenced on 24 January 2018. The service was later permitted to begin official transmissions on 14 February, and a launch press conference took place at its Dhaka headquarters on 10 March. Formal broadcasting began on 11 March 2018. The launch used the slogan “Hridoyer Kotha Bole,” or “Tells the sayings of the heart,” and presented the channel as a Bengali-language service carrying both news and entertainment. Ananda TV’s launch messaging also gave it a cultural and national identity. The channel stated that it aimed to show Bengali culture and heritage to audiences, drawing on the spirit of Bangladesh’s Liberation War. Its founding figure was Abbas Ullah Shikder, a producer associated with the popular 1989 Bangladeshi film Beder Meye Josna. The launch event included Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, former chairman Hasan Taufique Abbas, and former managing director Nurul Islam. Shikder died on 18 January 2020. In 2019, Ananda TV began transmitting through Bangabandhu-1, Bangladesh’s national communications satellite. This gave the channel a satellite distribution route alongside its cable availability and represented an important technical and distribution milestone after its delayed launch. The broadcaster later faced an operational incident when the building housing its offices caught fire on 21 August 2021. The available reference does not state whether the fire caused injuries, substantial property damage, or a prolonged interruption in programming. Ananda TV’s public history also includes a legal controversy involving its former leadership. On 28 August 2025, former chairman Hasan Taufique Abbas was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in relation to a fraud case filed in 2023 by former managing director Nurul Islam. The supplied material does not provide a judgment, settlement, or other final disposition. Current ownership, management, financial condition, and detailed programming history remain insufficiently documented in the available sources.

• 2025

  Former chairman arrested in fraud case

  [1]Ananda TVen.wikipedia.org

  Former chairman Hasan Taufique Abbas was arrested in connection with a fraud case filed by former managing director Nurul Islam.

• 2021

  Fire affects the channel’s building

  [1]Ananda TVen.wikipedia.org

  A fire occurred in the building where Ananda TV was based on 21 August.

• 2019

  Bangabandhu-1 satellite transmission begins

  [1]Ananda TVen.wikipedia.org

  The channel added transmission through Bangladesh’s Bangabandhu-1 satellite.

• 2018

  Test transmissions begin

  [1]Ananda TVen.wikipedia.org

  Ananda TV began test transmissions on 24 January.

• 2018

  Official broadcasting begins

  [1]Ananda TVen.wikipedia.org

  After a launch press conference on 10 March, the channel officially began broadcasting on 11 March.

• 2015

  Frequency allocation received

  [1]Ananda TVen.wikipedia.org

  A frequency allocation was granted for the planned television service.

• 2013

  Initial ATV license granted

  [1]Ananda TVen.wikipedia.org

  The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission initially licensed the channel under the name ATV.

A Bangladeshi Bengali-language television broadcaster positioned around general news and entertainment programming, with an accompanying emphasis on Bengali culture, heritage, and the historical spirit of the Liberation War.

• Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel · 2018

  Ananda TV

  Ananda TV is the brand’s principal and publicly documented offering: a privately owned Bangladeshi Bengali-language television channel. Its programming combines news and entertainment, while its launch positioning emphasized Bengali culture, heritage, and the spirit of the Liberation War. The service is distributed through cable and satellite transmission, including Bangabandhu-1 from 2019.

• 2025

  Fraud case involving former chairman

  Former chairman Hasan Taufique Abbas was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 28 August 2025 in connection with a fraud case filed in 2023 by former managing director Nurul Islam. The available reference does not establish the case’s final outcome.

  Source

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• 2019

  Expansion to Bangabandhu-1 satellite transmissionStrategy

  Background

  Following its cable and initial broadcasting operations, the channel pursued satellite distribution.

  Action taken

  Ananda TV began broadcasting via Bangladesh’s Bangabandhu-1 satellite.

  Aftermath

  The channel gained a documented satellite transmission route in addition to cable distribution.

  Source

• 2018

  Launch of Ananda TVProduct launch

  Background

  The channel had received a license and frequency allocation years earlier, but its launch was delayed by reported financial difficulties and mismanagement.

  Action taken

  Ananda TV conducted test transmissions in January, received permission to commence official transmissions in February, and formally launched on 11 March.

  Aftermath

  The broadcaster entered Bangladesh’s Bengali-language television market with a combined news and entertainment format.

  Source

1. 1Ananda TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Ananda TV official websiteanandatv.tv