Public Health on Top

BATB has cleverly been using the state machinery against the public health with the excuse of its partnership with the government, and especially some of the important anti-tobacco measures like Health Development Surcharge Usage Policy, National Tobacco Control Policy and proper implementation of Graphical Health Warning on tobacco packets could not be seen as BATB has strong influence on the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture. Recently, Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) and other tobacco control representatives had met with the Health Secretary and urged to implement GHW on 50 percent upper space of tobacco packets but there are no results found yet. By the same way, there are no activities over the finalization of tobacco farming policy is being noticed.
Notably, the existing Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture had played the role of Independent Director for BATB when he was in the Ministry of Industry in 2012. Similarly, the existing Health Secretary has also played the role of Non-Executive Director for BATB governing body in 2011.
Public health is on top. To fulfil the aspiration of the Honorable Prime Minister to make the country tobacco-free by 2040, the partnership with the tobacco company from the government’s side should be removed. Otherwise the tobacco companies will keep continue their interference on the government machinery to undermine the tobacco control measures.