Public Health on Top

Cigarette companies have launched a concerted paid media campaign to derail the tobacco control law amendment initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The tactic used this time is to publish numerous articles with almost similar contents and full of baseless and fabricated information in the media to confuse and mislead policymakers and the public. Simultaneously, bidi companies have also employed the widely used strategy from its playbook, which is to rally so-called bidi workers' organizations and factory owners' associations to organize human chains all over the country, opposing the draft amendment. Their intention is to spread misleading explanations regarding vital provisions of the draft amendment and create confusion among stakeholders. It should be noted that considering the huge death toll and other losses incurred by tobacco, the Honorable Prime Minister in 2016 S expressed her commitment to make Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040 and provided a clear directive to amend and strengthen the tobacco control law in line with WHO FCTC to achieve that goal. The Health Ministry's amendment initiative is rooted in the HPM's directive.

Each of the proposals included in the draft amendment is time-fitting and vital to safeguarding public health. We hope, the government will not allow tobacco companies to mislead and ensure the finalization of the amendment at the earliest.