Public Health on Top

British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) has been facing allegations of defrauding the country of a hefty amount through VAT evasion and illegal tax rebate. The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) has revealed this irregularity in a recent audit. BATB previously faced lawsuits regarding its attempt to evade taxes and used the UK High Commissioner to Bangladesh to pursue the Bangladesh government for an out-of-court settlement. Considering the long trail of BATB's financial irregularities, it is very frustrating to see the government and different private entities showering such a company with awards for establishing good governance, developing society, and safeguarding the environment. Balipara Foundation has very recently awarded the Chairman of BATB with lifetime recognition. This goes against the study findings that more than 2.9 million trees are fell and burnt each year to process tobacco. Again, such a company has also received Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) 2022 very recently. It is impossible for a company like BATB to make even the slightest contribution to sustainable development. The Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also identified tobacco as an obstacle to sustainable development.

Tobacco companies are also attempting to derail the Health Ministry's bid to amend the tobacco control law through paid media campaigns. Through such campaigns, tobacco companies are spreading disinformation regarding the potential impact of some articles included in the draft amendment with a view to misleading the people and policymakers. We hope, the government will finalize the draft at the earliest to safeguard public health and formulate and implement a strong tobacco taxation policy to put an end to tax evasion of tobacco companies.