Bangladesh Television BTV did not telecast any special news item tn connection with the city corporation elections, a PID handout said here last night, reports BSS

It said a report published on January 30. purported to be based on a survey, was motivated to influence the voters and the publication of the report on the day of the elections was a heinous attempt by a certain quarter to realise its own interests.

The handout said that though Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia had addressed four electoral meetings. BTV neither recorded the events nor telecast any news about those meetings.

From January 20 to January 28. the Eight O' elock news carried telecasts of develop ment activities and public meetings, outside the four metropolises, visited by the President. Prime Minister and members of the cabinet, purely on the basis of news value. News of the Election Commission and the Leader of the Opposition were also telecast on the same basis, the handout said

# Since It Is a BNB govern" ment and since most of the development news transpires through the activities of the Prime Minister and members of the cabinet, the ruling party gets a large chunk of publicity time, not as a party as such but as the government, the handout pointed out.

The handout said this Is applicable not only to BTV. but to all news media.

It lamented that despite BTVs neutral role during the city corporation* election*, such and adverse campaign had been carried out.