Stop Lux ads offering gold, orders HC
The High Court yesterday ordered Unilever Bangladesh, the local chapter of a British-Dutch multinational consumer products company, to stop the advertisements of its soapLux-- offering gold lockets to consumers.
In response to a writ petition, a HC bench of Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kalam passed the order.
The bench also issued a rule asking the government why it should not be directed to take steps against Unilever authorities under Section 294(b) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for the advertisement.
Secretaries of home and finance, inspector general of police (IGP), and DMP commissioner have been made respondents to reply to the rule within four weeks.
Advocate Abdul Matin, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the petition with the HC on Sunday seeking its directive to order the authorities concerned to stop the advertisements saying it was prohibited under the CrPC.
Advocate Touhidul Islam, counsel for the petitioner, told reporters after the verdict that such advertisements that lure people into buying products through chance are illegal according to penal code 294 (B).
Section 294 (b) of the CrPC says circulating such advertisements are punishable offence.
The court has jurisdiction to punish the offenders for 6 months to jail and fines for authorizing such advertisements, Islam added.
