BATB to achieve SDGs and finalizing CSR policy of government!

With a view to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a platform named ’Corporate Responsibility Network (CRN)' has recently started its journey  in Bangladesh, with British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) as one of its founders. Even before that, a draft technical paper regarding the formation of this Network was handed over to the Chief SDG Coordinator of the country (SR Asia Bangladesh chapter report 2011-2017, page 5, section 2). According to relevant sources, the Network will also work in finalizing the CSR policy of the government. The Network is conceptualized by Social Responsibility Asia- SR Asia Bangladesh.

It should be noted that BATB has very actively involved itself in the formation of this Network (Annual report, 2017). ‘SR Asia Bangladesh’ has also acknowledged the series of assistance it received from BATB (Conference proceeding, page 14, para 2). Besides, it arranged a 'Stakeholders Engagement Meeting' in BATB's conference room in 2017 (UN Global compact, page 17, section 4.3) where a number of high officials of BATB participated. The logos of BATB's CSR-related initiatives, including Banayan (Afforestation), Probaho (Safe drinking water) and Deepto (Solar home system) were also used in the inaugural ceremony of Corporate Responsibility Network (CRN). In 2017, ‘SR Asia Bangladesh’ arranged a conference titled ‘Propagating CSR Programmes by Corporates in Bangladesh’ on the issue of SDG and CSR. Two of BATB's high officials were in the Advisory Committee and Technical Team of the conference. A high official of UNDP Bangladesh also attended the conference as a panel discussant which violates UNDP's ‘Policy on Due Diligence and Partnership with the private sector (2013)’. In the inaugural session of the conference, a study on the impact of BATB's CSR activities was presented as the key presentation (Conference proceeding, page 12, para 2). The study claims, the CSR activities of BATB are contributing in achieving 9 of the 17 goals of SDGs. On the contrary, the Honorable PM (in her speech during the wrapping up session of an international conference in 2016) mentioned tobacco as a big impediment in achieving SDGs. Tobacco production and use, indeed, obstructs the achievement of all the SDGs. Realizing the severe aggression of tobacco companies and the extent of havoc caused by tobacco (Tobacco or sustainable development, PROGGA, 2016), the custodian authority of SDGs, the UNDP has adopted a policy of avoiding all sorts of engagement with tobacco companies (page 4, table 1, column 5). Therefore, the government of Bangladesh should avoid all sorts of partnerships with tobacco companies in SDGs and other development initiatives.

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Source: Tobacco Industry Watch BD Team @ PROGGA