Ekhon

Ekhon is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel dedicated primarily to business, finance, and economic programming. The channel is owned by Spice Television Limited, a subsidiary of City Group, a large Bangladeshi conglomerate. It is headquartered in Tikatuli, Dhaka, and operates for audiences in Bangladesh. Ekhon occupies a distinctive position in Bangladesh's television market because it was established as the country's first channel focused specifically on business-related programming. Its coverage centers on financial news, economic developments, markets, commerce, and business affairs, while also extending into subjects such as agriculture, sports, climate, and other issues with economic or public-interest dimensions. This format places the channel between a conventional television news outlet and a specialist business-information service. The channel's corporate history began under the name Spice Television. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission granted the service a broadcasting license in 2017. Spice Television subsequently entered into an agreement with Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited on 28 July 2021 to use the Bangladesh-1 satellite. Experimental broadcasts began on 30 July 2021 under the Spice Television name. A further test-broadcast phase, described as the “Nirman Porbo” period, began on 16 December 2021, Bangladesh's Victory Day. Ekhon also signed a corporate agreement with the state-owned telecommunications operator TeleTalk on 30 May 2022. The arrangement was intended to provide the channel with telecommunications and related services at an affordable price. Although the service had initially planned to launch on 16 December 2021, its formal launch under the Ekhon name took place on 9 June 2022. It became the thirty-seventh television channel launched in Bangladesh and the first in the country to make business programming its central editorial focus. The channel's schedule includes finance and economy news and discussion, alongside programming related to broader social and commercial topics. Programs identified in reference material include Apnar Shongey, Ekhon Anondo, and Ekhon Mathe. The mix suggests an effort to present economic information through both specialist reporting and general-interest formats rather than limiting the service to market bulletins. Ekhon is a television media brand rather than a separately listed public company. Public reference material identifies Spice Television Limited as its owner and places that company within City Group. Information about the channel's individual executives, financial performance, revenue, audience measurements, and current corporate governance is not established in the available sources. In February 2026, the channel's decision to place four television journalists on intermittent leave without an immediate stated reason was criticized by the Dhaka Reporters Unity, creating a labor and press-freedom-related controversy associated with the service.

Ekhon's origins are linked to Spice Television, the name under which the service was licensed and initially developed. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission granted a license for Spice Television in 2017. The license established the basis for a specialist television service intended to operate in Bangladesh's growing broadcast sector. The project moved toward transmission infrastructure in July 2021. On 28 July 2021, Spice Television signed an agreement with Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited to use the Bangladesh-1 satellite for broadcasting. Two days later, on 30 July, it began experimental broadcasts under the Spice Television name. These broadcasts preceded the channel's formal public identity and allowed the service to test its transmission and programming operations. A later testing phase began on 16 December 2021, Bangladesh's Victory Day. This period was referred to as “Nirman Porbo,” or a construction/development phase, and represented a further step toward full operation. The channel had originally planned to launch on that date, but its official launch was subsequently delayed. On 30 May 2022, the channel entered into a corporate agreement with TeleTalk, Bangladesh's state-owned telecommunications company. The agreement provided various services to the television operation at an affordable price and supported the channel's broader technical and communications requirements. The service formally launched on 9 June 2022 under the name Ekhon. The Bengali word “Ekhon” means “now,” a name that reflects the immediacy associated with news and current-affairs broadcasting. At launch, Ekhon was described as Bangladesh's first television channel devoted to business-related programming and the country's thirty-seventh television channel overall. Ekhon's editorial scope is centered on business, finance, and the economy. Its programming also addresses agriculture, sports, climate, and other areas connected to everyday life and national development. This combination gives the channel a wider infotainment profile while retaining business and economic coverage as its defining specialization. Programs listed in reference material include Apnar Shongey, Ekhon Anondo, and Ekhon Mathe. The channel is owned by Spice Television Limited, which is identified as a subsidiary of City Group. Ekhon broadcasts in Bengali through satellite and cable distribution and is based in Tikatuli, Dhaka. Publicly available reference material does not provide a complete account of its senior management, financial results, audience data, or later ownership changes. In February 2026, Ekhon placed four television journalists on intermittent leave without an immediate stated explanation. The Dhaka Reporters Unity criticized the action. This became the principal controversy identified in available reference material concerning the channel.

• 2022

  TeleTalk corporate agreement

  [1]Ekhonen.wikipedia.org

  Ekhon signed an agreement with state-owned telecommunications company TeleTalk for various services at an affordable price.

• 2022

  Official launch as Ekhon

  [1]Ekhonen.wikipedia.org

  The service officially launched under the Ekhon name on 9 June as Bangladesh's first television channel dedicated to business-related programming.

• 2021

  Bangladesh-1 satellite agreement and experimental broadcasting

  [1]Ekhonen.wikipedia.org

  Spice Television signed an agreement with Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited on 28 July to use the Bangladesh-1 satellite and began experimental broadcasts on 30 July.

• 2021

  Nirman Porbo test broadcast begins

  [1]Ekhonen.wikipedia.org

  The channel began a further test-broadcast phase on 16 December, Bangladesh's Victory Day.

• 2017

  Broadcasting license granted

  [1]Ekhonen.wikipedia.org

  The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission licensed the service under the name Spice Television.

Bangladesh's first television channel dedicated to business-related programming, combining financial and economic news with broader infotainment and public-interest coverage.

• Business and financial television · 2022

  Ekhon television channel

  Ekhon is a Bengali-language satellite and cable television service based in Dhaka. Its core output covers business, finance, economic affairs, and related current events. The schedule also includes programming concerning agriculture, sports, climate, and broader infotainment topics. The channel was launched as Bangladesh's first television service focused on business-related programming.

• 2026

  Journalists placed on intermittent leave

  Ekhon placed four television journalists on intermittent leave without an immediate stated reason. The Dhaka Reporters Unity criticized the decision.

  Source

Read more

• 2022

  Launch under the Ekhon brandStrategy

  Background

  The service had been licensed and tested under the name Spice Television but was intended to operate as a specialist business and financial channel.

  Action taken

  The operator launched the channel under the Ekhon name on 9 June 2022.

  Aftermath

  Ekhon became Bangladesh's first television channel dedicated to business-related programming and the country's thirty-seventh television channel overall.

  Source

1. 1Ekhonen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Ekhon official websiteekhon.tv