Tobacco Companies Declared Ineligible for the President's Award for Industrial Development

The Ministry of Industries (MoInd) has recently issued a new policy disqualifying companies manufacturing tobacco and tobacco products for the prestigious President's Award for Industrial Development. This pro public health move has come from the MoInd at such a time when Bangladesh is facing Covid-19 pandemic and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that tobacco helps spread Covid-19 infection, discouraging its use. MoInd's decision is one that is time-fitting and laudable. Despite strong protests from PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and other anti-tobacco organizations, multinational tobacco company British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) has been receiving this award for the last several years. It should be noted that the company has allegedly been exploiting the President's 0.64 percent share to extract business facilities.

Tobacco claims 126,000 lives prematurely every year. Realizing the devastations caused by tobacco, the Honorable Prime Minister declared her vision to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040. Supporting the latest move from MoInd, ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) said, the other ministries should follow the footsteps of MoInd and adopt a ban on bestowing awards on tobacco traders and companies.