The High Court today issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks why it should not be directed to take necessary steps to stop advertisements on foreign television channels running in Bangladesh.

Information secretary, senior commerce secretary, chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR), governor of Bangladesh Bank, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), director general of Bangladesh Television (BTV) and inspector general of police (IGP) have been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the rule following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Aklas Uddin Bhuiyan seeking its order on the respondents to stop broadcasting advertisements on foreign TV channels running in Bangladesh.

Advocate Aklas submitted the petition as a public interest litigation (PIL) to the HC on September 20 saying that broadcasting advertisements on foreign TV channels in the country is prohibited under the Cable TV Network Operation Act 2006.

However, some dishonest businessmen are providing advertisements to foreign TV channels without the government permission resulting in damage to the domestic industry, the lawyer said in the petition and prayed to the HC to issue a rule in this regard asking the government to explain why it should not be declared illegal.

Under the Cable TV Network Operation Act 2006, the highest punishment for this offence is two years' imprisonment or Tk 1 lakh fine, he told The Daily Star.

Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Tapas Kumar Biswas represented the government.