Death Marketing-1

BATB sponsored concerts on!

British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) has been sponsoring for ‘Be Here Now’ - a gorgeous concert in posh clubs and hotels in cities. BATB promoting the event with a website (http://beherenow.com.bd) and its facebook page (www.facebook.com/BeHereNowBD) similar to Benson & Hedges cigarettes. Youths and consumers who have been registered with BATB database in different times are invited through event management companies. A concert has been held in Ball Room of Radisson Blue Water garden in Dhaka on October 7, 2017. The event mainly focused on its promotion and advertisement of certain brands abusing the natural curiosity and inspiration of youths. However, after Section 5 (C) of Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (Amended 2013), all types of sponsorship from tobacco company is prohibited. Even if the section is violated, violators will be penalized with a monetary fine not exceeding Tk 100,000 or simple imprisonment not exceeding three months or the both.

Multinational tobacco company, BATB has been running its promotions ignoring the law. Such death-marketing should be stopped immediately to protect youths from clutch of tobacco.