Death Marketing -2

BATB’s Cigarette Ad via Mobile SMS

The multi-national British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) has very recently started advertising its low-tier cigarette brand Star by sending people unsolicited text messages under the guise of a totally needless ‘price alert’ campaign. The so-called price alert as BATB claims it states that the price for 2 sticks of Star cigarettes is Taka 11. People of all ages, regardless of gender and other factors, are getting these messages. In reality, the unsolicited text messages to alert people of Star brand’s price is only a pretext for the company to promote its brand countrywide. The unlawful campaign of BATB is sending the advertisement of cigarettes as well as other tobacco products at every door of the country which also contradicts with the PM’s declaration to build a tobacco-free country by 2040. 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.