ASH Bangladesh – fresh ill tactics outlet of tobacco cos!

An organization naming ‘Action for Smoking and Health Bangladesh (ASH Bangladesh)’ has held an anti-tobacco human chain before the national press club on February 18, 2017. The organization has demanded to divest government share from British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) and also underscored the implementation of FCTC Article 5.3 to protect the public health. Initially it appears that the organization is an anti-tobacco platform, undoubtedly the entire process is done with the assistance of the tobacco company. Very recently, with the petition of this organization the implementation of the graphic health warning (GHW) on the upper portion of tobacco packets has been barred in the High Court (HC) once again. Tobacco companies have deployed this organization to gain their interest cleverly. Notably, based on the joint writ petition on September 08, 2016 by PROGGA, UBINIG and Pratyasha, a High Court bench had issued a rule over inquiring that why the ‘Public Notice’ on March 16, 2016 by National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) to print GHW on the lower portion of tobacco packets shall not be declared as illegal and outlawed, and allowed two weeks to answer the HC rule. The next date was set on November 02 in 2016 for further discussion on the issue. Following the consequences, the NTCC took attempts to withdraw the ‘Public Notice’. But later, with the writ appeal from ASH Bangladesh, the Court adjourned all the previous orders and ordered to continue the GHW based on the ‘Public Notice’ in the below 50% of tobacco packs. The organization explained on the writ petition that as the Law Ministry has permitted to print GHW on the lower portion and it is conflicting with the band roll SRO rules of the NBR, hence the GHW should be printed in the existing format. Therefore, the organization being disconnected with the mainstream tobacco control organization, it is evident that all such activities are highly suspicious and tobacco companies are assisting in its activities. Participating in tobacco control in disguise is nothing new for the tobacco companies. Such events have occurred several times in the past. It is anticipated that the organization has arranged for such events to prove them as anti-tobacco organization before representing them as a fake tobacco control organization in the High Court. All of us should be aware to prevent such situations jointly.