Legal notice seeks withdrawal of Lifebuoy soap ad within 72hrs

A legal notice has been served on the government and a consumer goods company seeking the withdrawal of an advertisement that offers Tk 300 medical consultation for free for using Lifebuoy soap.

The notice has sought the withdrawal of the ad within 72 hours from all television channels and social media sites.

Supreme Court lawyer SK Yusuf Rahman sent the legal notice on behalf of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Nawshin Sharmin Purobi on Tuesday, terming the advertisement defamatory to physicians.

The notice was sent to the secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the CEO of Unilever Bangladesh Limited.

“If the advertisement is not withdrawn from electronic, print and social media within the deadline, legal action will be taken against the company,” Yusuf said.

According to the notice, an advertisement for Lifebuoy soap, a product of Unilever, is being aired on all television channels in Bangladesh.

It is said in the ad that if anyone uses the soap, he or she will be given Tk 300 medical consultation for free.

The advertisement has ruined the image and reputation of doctors because they are not a commodity and no one can set a price for their services, the notice said.

The consumer goods company must apologise to the doctors’ community of Bangladesh for running such an advertisement, it added.