Desh TV

Desh TV is a Bengali-language television channel serving Bangladesh through satellite and cable distribution. The channel is operated by Desh Television Limited, a company associated with the Karnaphuli Group conglomerate, and is headquartered in the Malibagh area of Dhaka. Its broadcasting license was granted by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission during the expansion of Bangladesh’s private television sector in the 2000s. Desh TV officially began broadcasting on 26 March 2009, Bangladesh’s Independence Day, initially using the Telstar 10 satellite. It later became available through Bangladesh Satellite-1 and domestic cable networks. The channel entered the market with a stated public-service and cultural mission. Its early positioning emphasized Bangladeshi culture, national values, communal harmony, and programming intended to contribute to democratic awareness. The launch was associated with veteran actor and politician Asaduzzaman Noor, who served as the channel’s managing director during its early period. A national-anthem presentation filmed at the Shikha Chironton was among the channel’s early symbolic broadcasts. Desh TV developed a mixed schedule of news, entertainment, cultural programming, sports coverage, special events, and locally produced shows. Notable programming included the game show Ke Hotey Chay Kotipoti, a Bangladeshi adaptation of the international Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? format, which premiered in 2011 with Asaduzzaman Noor as host. The channel also used commemorative and topical programs to mark the lives of prominent cultural figures, including a Michael Jackson tribute in 2010 and a program dedicated to musician Ayub Bachchu in 2019. Its schedule has also included historical and public-affairs material, such as the 2013 miniseries Deshe Deshe Juddhaporadh, which examined war crimes in different countries. The broadcaster has participated in collaborative initiatives involving children’s programming, digital video news, and branded content. In 2011, it joined other Bangladeshi channels in an agreement with UNICEF to carry a short children’s programming segment. In 2016, it joined a group of television channels subscribing to Prism, a video-based news agency operated by Bdnews24.com and focused on reporting produced by children. It also participated in a Ramadan cooking series in 2014. Desh TV pursued international distribution for a period, beginning broadcasts on the United Kingdom’s Sky platform in April 2011. The channel was removed from that platform in January 2012 for reasons not documented in the cited reference material. It launched its website in June 2012, extending its presence beyond linear television. In March 2022, the broadcaster entered a corporate connectivity agreement with Banglalink. That year it also announced a significant programming shift: on its thirteenth anniversary, Desh TV said it intended to move toward an all-news schedule by removing non-news programming. The channel underwent a leadership and identity transition in the early 2020s. Asaduzzaman Noor’s departure was announced in July 2022, and Desh TV introduced a revised logo and the stylization “DESHTV” on 26 October 2022. A foundation stone for Desh Tower, a planned 26-floor building intended to house the broadcaster, was laid in Dhaka on 17 December 2023. Reference material also records a further identity and technology update on 26 March 2026, the channel’s seventeenth anniversary: Desh TV commenced high-definition broadcasting and introduced a logo that restored the Bengali “দেশ” wordmark and the “desh.tv” styling. Desh TV therefore combines a national Bengali-language identity with news-led broadcasting, cultural programming, and the infrastructure ambitions of a growing private media organization.

Desh TV emerged during the growth of Bangladesh’s private television industry in the mid-to-late 2000s. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission granted the broadcaster a license during that period, enabling Desh Television Limited to establish a Bengali-language satellite and cable channel. The station formally launched on 26 March 2009, Bangladesh’s Independence Day, using the Telstar 10 satellite. Its early launch was associated with actor and politician Asaduzzaman Noor, who became the channel’s managing director. Desh TV’s stated mission centered on strengthening Bangladeshi culture, national values, communal harmony, and democratic awareness. One of its early symbolic broadcasts featured the national anthem performed at the Shikha Chironton. The channel initially pursued a broad general-entertainment model. Its output included news, entertainment, cultural features, sports, historical material, and special programs. In June 2010, it commemorated the first anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death with Tribute to the Legend: Michael Jackson. In July 2011, it premiered Ke Hotey Chay Kotipoti, a local adaptation of the internationally known Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? format. Asaduzzaman Noor hosted the program, whose opening episodes featured actor Shakib Khan and actor Apu Biswas. In November of the same year, Desh TV joined three other Bangladeshi channels in a UNICEF agreement concerning a short children’s programming segment. Desh TV also attempted to reach audiences outside Bangladesh. It began carriage on the United Kingdom’s Sky platform on 27 April 2011, although the channel was removed on 12 January 2012. The reason for the removal is not identified in the cited material. The broadcaster launched its own website on 2 June 2012, giving it a digital outlet in addition to television distribution. In December 2013, it aired the twelve-episode miniseries Deshe Deshe Juddhaporadh, which addressed war crimes committed in different parts of the world. During Ramadan in July 2014, it was among eight Bangladeshi channels carrying the cooking program Pran Premium Ghee Star Cook. The broadcaster continued to participate in media partnerships and cultural programming. In May 2016, Desh TV joined eight other Bangladeshi channels in an agreement with Bdnews24.com to subscribe to Prism, a video-oriented news agency whose content was produced by children. In October 2019, it aired Sei Tumi to mark the first death anniversary of guitarist and singer Ayub Bachchu. On 3 March 2022, the channel signed a corporate-connection agreement with Banglalink, making the telecommunications company a corporate service partner. A major strategic change was announced on 26 March 2022, Desh TV’s thirteenth anniversary. The channel stated that it would remove non-news programs and move toward an entirely news-focused schedule. This represented a shift from its earlier mixed programming model toward a more specialized news identity. The same period brought a leadership change: in July 2022, Desh TV announced that Asaduzzaman Noor had left the channel. On 26 October 2022, the broadcaster introduced a new logo and adopted the “DESHTV” styling. Desh TV subsequently pursued a larger physical base. On 17 December 2023, the foundation stone was laid for Desh Tower, a planned 26-floor building intended to house the channel. Reference material further records that on 26 March 2026, coinciding with its seventeenth anniversary, Desh TV began high-definition broadcasting and introduced another logo. This identity restored the Bengali “দেশ” wordmark and the “desh.tv” treatment. The available record therefore presents Desh TV as an active Bangladeshi broadcaster that evolved from a culturally oriented general channel into a more news-centered service while continuing to invest in digital reach, branding, technical quality, and dedicated infrastructure.

• 2026

  HD broadcasting and refreshed identity

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material records the beginning of HD broadcasts and a logo bringing back the Bengali “দেশ” and “desh.tv” elements.

• 2023

  Desh Tower foundation stone laid

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  Construction preparations began for a planned 26-floor building intended to house Desh TV.

• 2022

  Shift toward all-news programming

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  The broadcaster announced plans to eliminate non-news programming and focus its schedule on news.

• 2022

  Logo changed to DESHTV

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  Desh TV formally adopted a revised logo and the “DESHTV” styling on 26 October 2022.

• 2016

  Prism news partnership

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  Desh TV joined a group of Bangladeshi television channels subscribing to Bdnews24.com’s child-produced video news service, Prism.

• 2013

  Deshe Deshe Juddhaporadh airs

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  The channel broadcast a twelve-episode miniseries about war crimes in different countries.

• 2012

  Website launch

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  Desh TV launched its website on 2 June 2012.

• 2011

  Ke Hotey Chay Kotipoti premieres

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  Desh TV launched its Bangladeshi version of the international millionaire-themed game-show format.

• 2011

  Sky UK carriage begins

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  The channel began broadcasting on Sky in the United Kingdom on 27 April 2011.

• 2010

  Michael Jackson tribute broadcast

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  The channel aired Tribute to the Legend: Michael Jackson to mark the first anniversary of the singer’s death.

• 2009

  Official broadcast launch

  [1]Desh TVen.wikipedia.org

  Desh TV officially began broadcasting on 26 March 2009 via the Telstar 10 satellite.

A Bangladeshi Bengali-language television broadcaster positioned around national culture, news, public affairs, entertainment, and communal values, with a later strategic emphasis on news programming.

• Television channel · 2009

  Desh TV linear channel

  The core Desh TV service is a Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel distributed in Bangladesh. Its programming has included news, entertainment, culture, sports, historical content, special broadcasts, and public-interest material. The channel’s stated identity is closely connected to Bangladeshi culture and national values. In 2022, it announced a strategic move toward removing non-news programming and concentrating on news.

• Game show · 2011

  Ke Hotey Chay Kotipoti

  Ke Hotey Chay Kotipoti was Desh TV’s Bangladeshi adaptation of the international Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? format. The program premiered in July 2011 and was hosted by Asaduzzaman Noor. Its early episodes included appearances by actors Shakib Khan and Apu Biswas, giving the channel a high-profile entertainment format alongside its news and cultural output.

• Historical and public-affairs miniseries · 2013

  Deshe Deshe Juddhaporadh

  Deshe Deshe Juddhaporadh was a twelve-episode special miniseries broadcast in December 2013. Its subject was war crimes committed in different parts of the world, placing the program within Desh TV’s historical, documentary, and public-affairs programming.

• High-definition television service · 2026

  Desh TV HD service

  Reference material states that Desh TV commenced high-definition broadcasting on 26 March 2026, coinciding with the channel’s seventeenth anniversary. The reported upgrade was accompanied by a revised logo restoring the Bengali “দেশ” wordmark and the “desh.tv” styling.

• 2016Prism child-produced news partnership

  Bangladesh

  Desh TV joined eight other Bangladeshi television channels in an agreement with Bdnews24.com to subscribe to Prism, a video-based news service produced by children.

  Outcome. The partnership connected the channel with a child-oriented news-production and media-literacy initiative.

  Source
• 2014Pran Premium Ghee Star Cook

  Bangladesh

  During Ramadan, Desh TV was one of eight Bangladeshi channels broadcasting the cooking series Pran Premium Ghee Star Cook.

  Outcome. The series added seasonal food and branded entertainment programming to the channel’s Ramadan schedule.

  Source
• 2011UNICEF children’s programming initiative

  Bangladesh

  Desh TV joined three other Bangladeshi television channels in an agreement with UNICEF to broadcast a one-minute children’s programming segment.

  Outcome. The agreement expanded the channel’s participation in a coordinated child-focused public-interest television initiative.

  Source

• 2026

  HD upgrade and restored wordmarkGeneration change

  Background

  The reported upgrade coincided with Desh TV’s seventeenth anniversary and followed earlier changes to the channel’s logo and programming strategy.

  Action taken

  Desh TV commenced high-definition broadcasting and introduced a logo restoring the Bengali “দেশ” wordmark together with the “desh.tv” styling.

  Aftermath

  The change represented a technical and visual refresh. The cited material does not disclose distribution details, investment figures, or audience effects.

  Source

• 2022

  Move to a news-focused scheduleStrategy

  Background

  On its thirteenth anniversary, Desh TV reviewed its programming direction after years of carrying news, entertainment, cultural programs, sports, and special broadcasts.

  Action taken

  The channel announced that it would remove non-news programs and shift toward an entirely news-oriented schedule.

  Aftermath

  The announcement marked a repositioning from a broad general-interest television channel toward a more specialized news service. The cited material does not provide audience, financial, or ratings results.

  Source

• 2022

  Brand identity redesignOther

  Background

  Desh TV undertook a visual identity update during a period that also included the departure of former managing director Asaduzzaman Noor.

  Action taken

  On 26 October 2022, the channel introduced a new logo and adopted the “DESHTV” stylization.

  Aftermath

  The new identity became the channel’s principal reported styling until reference material described a later logo change in 2026.

  Source

1. 1Desh TVen.wikipedia.org