International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Aminul Islam told journalists on Tuesday that media outlets were under a restriction against broadcasting remarks by Sheikh Hasina that he characterized as hateful.
He said he did not see a legal obstacle to broadcasting her other remarks.
Aminul Islam also said he was uncertain whether a statement from Hasina would materialize.
At a separate press briefing, Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman urged media outlets not to publish or broadcast Hasina’s statements.
Zahed Ur Rahman said that publicizing an advance announcement of a Hasina speech, and then publishing or broadcasting it, would constitute disobedience of a court order.
He said the government had previously issued cautionary guidance to media over the issue and would remind outlets to comply with the court’s decision.
The adviser said that anyone wishing to challenge the order could do so in court, but that it must be followed while it remains in force.
Asked about Hasina’s reported statement on returning to Bangladesh, Zahed Ur Rahman said the government wanted her returned and had requested her extradition from India.
The two officials described the scope of the restriction differently: Aminul Islam referred to remarks he called hateful, while Zahed Ur Rahman described a broader bar on publishing or broadcasting Hasina’s statements.