Public Health on Top

With a view to thwarting the amendment process of the tobacco control law, British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) have recently sent letters addressed to the Honorable Advisors of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Law, opposing the amendment proposals put forth by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). Copies of the letters have also been sent to the Honorable Advisors of the Ministry of Industries, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Cabinet Secretary, the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, the Secretary of the Finance Division and the Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR). The contents of the letters: data and claims of the companies, have later been used in a number of articles published in media outlets. One of the core arguments presented by these two largest tobacco companies of the country is that amendment of the tobacco companies will cause the government to lose much of its revenue earnings. Needless to say, such a claim is entirely fabricated and baseless. The letters also alleged that the government had not consulted tobacco companies while formulating the draft amendment proposals. However, according to recommendations 3.1 and 3.4 of the FCTC Article 5.3 Guidelines, tobacco companies cannot be considered as partners/stakeholders or be consulted with during the formulation of tobacco control policies. The letters also claim that the draft amendment, if realized, would lead to the loss of livelihoods for at least 1.5 million retailers, which is far from the truth. According to the 2021 Wholesale and Retail Trade Survey, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the number of retail shops selling foods, drinks and tobacco products stands at 196,341 only.

It should be noted that the government has taken the initiative to strengthen the tobacco control law to safeguard non-smokers from the harms of secondhand smoke and to prevent the youth from getting hooked on the fatal addiction to tobacco. The draft amendment has been prepared following all regular procedures, including holding inter-ministerial meetings and also in line with the WHO FCTC and its guidelines. We hope that the government keeps itself free from interference from the tobacco industry and finalizes the draft amendment at the earliest.