Ban airing ads on foreign TV channels

A Supreme Court lawyer yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its order on the government to stop broadcasting advertisement on foreign television channels running in Bangladesh.

Advocate Aklas Uddin Bhuiyan submitted the petition as a public-interest-litigation saying that broadcasting advertisement on foreign channels in the country is prohibited under the Cable TV Network Operation Act 2006.

But some dishonest businessmen are providing advertisements to foreign TV channels without the government permission resulting in damaging the domestic industry, he said in the petition.

Advocate Aklas prayed to the HC to issue a rule asking the government to explain why it should not be declared illegal.

He requested the HC to make information secretary, senior commerce secretary, chairman of National Board of Revenue, governor of Bangladesh Bank, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, director general of Bangladesh Television and inspector general of police respondents to the rule.

Advocate Aklas told The Daily Star that the HC is yet to fix any date for hearing the petition.

Under the Cable TV Network Operation Act 2006, the highest punishment is two years' imprisonment or Tk 1 lakh fine for violating the cable network rules, he added.