YouTube Blocks 4 Bangladeshi TV Channels in India Over Security Concerns
New Delhi, May 9, 2025 – YouTube has blocked access to four private Bangladeshi television channels in India following a government request citing national security and public order concerns. The affected channels are Jamuna TV, Ekattor TV, Banglavision, and Mohona TV.
Fact-checking organization Dismislab reported the development on Friday, confirming that these channels are no longer accessible within India. Users attempting to visit their YouTube pages are met with a message stating: “This content is not available in this country due to a government order based on national security or public order.”
According to the report, India invoked Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which empowers the government to block content that poses threats to national security, sovereignty, or public order.
Jamuna TV confirmed receiving an official notice from YouTube, stating that all past and future content would be blocked for Indian viewers at the request of the Indian government.
To verify the situation, Dismislab used a proxy server based in India and checked 38 Bangladeshi news channels. Only the four mentioned channels were found to be blocked. Further verification with journalists in Delhi and Kolkata confirmed the restriction, with one reporter providing a screenshot as proof.
The move comes amid heightened regional tensions, especially after India’s armed forces launched “Operation Sindoor” in Pakistan, triggering a wave of nationalist media campaigns. On May 9, Indian authorities also blocked the online portal of independent news outlet The Wire, sparking further controversy over press freedom.
Social media posts from The Wire accused the Indian government of violating constitutional press freedoms. Just a day earlier, reports indicated that India had ordered the suspension of over 8,000 user accounts, including several independent news agencies such as Maktub Media, The Kashmiriyat, and Free Press Kashmir. Last month, India banned more than a dozen online channels from a neighboring country, targeting even former prime ministers, sports stars, and cultural icons.
Bangladeshi writer and activist Asad Noor, currently in exile in India, recently claimed that his video channel was also blocked in India, though it was later restored.