Death Marketing-1

BATB Disguising Adverts as Messages to Sellers

Well-designed danglers decorated with packs of Benson and Hedges are hanging in point-of-sells. While the danglers appear to be addressed to the sellers, these are nothing short of marketing ploys of British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) to promote its cigarette brands. It should be noted that as per the 5 section of the tobacco control law, any promotion at the points-of-sale is strictly prohibited and a punishable offense. Such aggressive promotional campaign by JTI, violating TC law, must be stopped. The penalty for advertising tobacco products in the existing law is a simple imprisonment not exceeding three months or a monetary fine not exceeding Tk. 100,000 or both. For each repeated violation, the fine doubles or triples accordingly. BATB’s promotion of death trade must be stopped.