Public Health on Top

British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) has long been abusing the country's business associations and government offices to influence the tobacco taxation and pricing measures in the national budget. BATB big guns are often found occupying leading positions at key trade bodies and professional associations. For instance, the Chairman of BATB is currently holding a position at the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI). The Company Secretary of BATB (as per the company's 2022 Annual Report) is also a Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries of Bangladesh (ICSB), professional body under the Ministry of Commerce. Taking advantage of such links with these leading trade and professional bodies, BATB tends to insert its own demands as that of these organizations, in meetings with key govt. bodies, as evident in the FY 2024-25 pre-budget meeting with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) where BATB Chair and other key officials of the company attended as part of MCCI and ICSB delegations and raised demands in the company's favor.

A number of BATB Board Members and top officials are also scheduled to attend meeting with the government's top revenue body as part of a delegation from Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). The leadership of Big Tobacco in the prestigious business associations and government-affiliated professional bodies poses a grave threat to public health and the national economy. We must keep in mind that to safeguard public health and increase revenue inflow, there is no alternative to averting undue influence of tobacco industry while adopting and implementing tobacco taxation and pricing measures.