Dhaka: The High Court on Thursday issued a rule against using songs of Hindi or Indian-made Bangla films, or any other subcontinental country’s language, in ring tones and welcome tunes of mobile phones.

An HC bench comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Izarul Haque Akand issued the rule after hearing a petition filed by Music Industries Owners’ Association president AKM Arifur Rahman and its general secretary SK Shahed Ali.

In its rule, the HC asked the authorities concerned to explain why the use of these songs or their tunes in ring tones, welcome tunes and other ‘value added mobile services’ should not be declared illegal.

The respondents are Cultural Affairs Secretary, Information Secretary, Home Affairs Secretary, Law Secretary, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman and the mobile telecom operators.

They have been asked to report to the court within four weeks.

Talking to reporters, the petitioners’ lawyer Barrister Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury noted that as according to section 49 of the Import Policy 2012-2015, films in Indian or other subcontinental languages cannot be imported, and should face embargo.