The state broadcaster Bangladesh Television (BTV), which has been running annual losses of more than 2 billion taka, has launched an effort to change its logo. BTV entered the era of color broadcasting in 1980 under then-President Ziaur Rahman’s government. That same year, artist Mustafa Monowar created BTV’s color logo. Familiar to viewers for 46 years, the logo has become etched in many people’s hearts — raising questions about why a change is now being considered.
On BTV’s verified Facebook page last Sunday night, a post read: “BTV is returning in a new form. You too can become a proud partner in building Bangladesh Television’s new logo. Send your idea or logo design to logo@btv.gov.bd. Submission deadline: September 10, 2026.” The announcement sparked discussion on social media, with some also urging improvements to the quality of BTV’s programming.
BTV Director-General Kazi Jesin, who took charge on August 7, confirmed the authenticity of the published announcement about the logo change but declined to comment further, suggesting reporters instead speak with officials at the ministry. Three responsible officials at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also declined to comment on the matter. A call placed to Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman Partho went unanswered.
After taking charge as director-general, Kazi Jesin met with Prime Minister Tareque Rahman last week. In a Facebook post on August 25 describing her meeting with the prime minister, Jesin said the prime minister wants BTV not just restored to its former standing, but reshaped into a more modern, distinctive and dignified institution.
But has the logo change kicked off this larger effort to remake BTV? Jesin said: “Under the Awami League government, BTV was used as a propaganda tool for the ruling party. As a result, the institution lost viewers and fell into a credibility crisis. Even after the mass uprising, the change BTV needed still hadn’t begun. No previous government has taken BTV this seriously. But the prime minister is treating the matter with real importance and has taken the initiative to transform the institution. Rebuilding BTV anew is part of that broader transformation.”
Why the sudden change to a logo approved by Ziaur Rahman?
BTV began broadcasting on December 25, 1964, from the ground floor of the then-DIT Building in Dhaka. It launched as a state institution the year after Bangladesh’s founding. In 1975, BTV was relocated from the DIT Building to its own building in Rampura. In 1980, BTV entered a new era by bringing color broadcasting to viewers. The channel’s broadcasts now reach the public in HD (high definition) via terrestrial, satellite and mobile-app platforms.
Writer and television personality Kh M Harun said: “It should be remembered that the current logo carries the touch of artists Kamrul Hasan and Mustafa Monowar. Artist Imdad Hossain played a role in creating BTV’s logo in December 1971. Later, in 1980, when BTV entered the color era, artist Mustafa Monowar redrew the earlier logo in a new form.”
Questioning why the current BNP government wants to change a logo approved by the late President Ziaur Rahman, Kh M Harun said: “Bangladesh Television entered the color era on December 1, 1980. That day, then-President Ziaur Rahman inaugurated color television along with BTV’s color logo designed by Mustafa Monowar — a new rendering of the original 1971 logo. Why has changing that logo suddenly become so urgent now?”
The television personality also offered some advice on what BTV should be doing now. He said: “What’s needed now is bringing variety back to BTV’s programming and having talented people create new content. Scrap the so-called audition system and separately list accomplished artists; set up a quarterly program plan for BTV and republish the TV guide based on it; fill vacant posts across all of BTV’s channels and root out corruption at every level. Arrange regular training and modernize the artists’ honorarium structure.”
He also advised keeping proper accounts of the license fees charged on television connections and TV sets, not depending on advertising revenue the way public service broadcasting organizations do in other countries, and taking steps to make BTV’s website more popular.
BTV’s income and expenditure
Through May of FY2025-26, Bangladesh Television’s total income including tax stood at 80.535 million taka, against expenditure of 2.5418 billion taka. Former Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan disclosed the figures on June 22 in parliament, in response to a question from Naogaon-3 MP Fazle Huda. The figures were presented at the question-and-answer table at the start of the session, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
The former information minister said that of BTV’s total income that fiscal year, 5.079417 million taka came in revenue from the advertising department. He also presented a breakdown of BTV’s income and expenditure over the previous five fiscal years.
According to the figures the minister provided, BTV’s income was 340.599 million taka in FY2020-21, against expenditure of 2.808136 billion taka. In FY2021-22, income was 402.66 million taka and expenditure 2.854727 billion taka. In FY2022-23, income was 308.785 million taka, expenditure 3.706151 billion taka. In FY2023-24, income rose to 442.122 million taka, with expenditure of 2.985760 billion taka. And in FY2024-25, income stood at 276.480 million taka, against expenditure of 3.079222 billion taka.