Death Marketing -2

Cigs worth Tk 300 must with fertilizers

A tobacco company has initiated an innovative technique to promote its cigarette brand. Farmers who collect fertilizers from the company in the form of loan are to buy cigarettes worth Tk 300 regardless their necessity. Exploiting the poverty and vulnerability, the tobacco company has imposed the rule on the farmers. To inspire in tobacco farming among the Lalmonirhat farmers, tobacco companies each year provide free seeds, fertilizers and insecticides as loans. But in the current season, the farmers are to buy 20 packets of ‘Brighton’ cigarettes, worth Tk 300, against fertilizers sacks fitting to two acres of lands. When disagreed to buy cigarettes, since their poverty does not allow them to spend more than their earnings, they are to return without fertilizers. Even, some of the non-smoking farmers are compelled to buy the cigarettes for the fertilizers. This is another marketing and tobacco producing trick used by company to entrap the feeble farmers.