Popular Bangladeshi Artist Promoting JTI brand

An advertisement has recently surfaced on Bangladeshi media where popular singer and actor Tahsan Khan is seen starring on a travel show based on Rabindranath Tagore’s famous travelogue Japan Jatri. Such overwhelming media campaign on a single show is quite unprecedented. What exposed the true purpose of the show is the use of JTI brand color and slogan “Japanese Quality” in the promotional campaign, identical to ones used in promotion of JTI brand. It can be undoubtedly concluded that the sole purpose of this show is to promote JTI brand to Bangladeshi audience, to make this brand familiar. After its entrance in Bangladeshi cigarette market following the $1.47 billion acquisition of Akij venture, the company has been promoting it's brand by violating TC law. Tahsan is a very popular singer and actor among Bangladeshi youth. His participation in promotion of cigarette is quite undesirable and can potentially attract the young fans to start lighting up. It should be mentioned here that Article 5 of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2013 has banned all sorts of commercial activities to promote tobacco usage as unlawful and punishable offense. The punishment for advertising tobacco and tobacco products, under the existing law, is a simple imprisonment or a monetary fine not exceeding Tk. 100,000 or both the penalties and if the offence is found again, the punishment will be doubled or tripled accordingly. This blatant promotion of JTI’s death trade, taking advantage of the Bard’s fair name, is despicable and it should be put to an end immediately.