Tobacco industry interferes on law amendments

Staff Reporter  :
The foremost impediment to a tobacco-free Bangladesh is the incessant interference of tobacco industry at policymaking of the country.

The sorry state manifests itself at the ‘Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023’ where Bangladesh scores 72, the worst such score among its South Asian peers.

As per the study findings, most of the industry interference occurred on the issue of the amendment of tobacco control law.

While three years have passed, the government is yet to pass the draft amendment of Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act 2013.

Experts said this on Sunday during a webinar titled ‘Tobacco Industry Interference Index: Report on the Implementation of FCTC Article 5.3’, organized jointly by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA).

The Chief Guest of the event, Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP, said, “The directive for strengthening our tobacco control law came from the Honorable Prime Minister.

I can’t help but wonder why it is taking so much time despite the PM’s support behind the initiative.”

In his speech as the Chair of the event, distinguished economist and the convener of the National Anti-Tobacco Platform, Dr. Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said, “The government must divest its share in tobacco companies.”

The Special Guest of the event, Hossain Ali Khondoker, Coordinator (Additional Secretary), National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) said, “We have achieved considerable progress in the ongoing amendment initiative.”

Mary Assunta, Head of Global Research and Advocacy, Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control and the other special guest of the event, said, clearly the transnational tobacco companies want Asia and Bangladesh is an important target market to increase their profits.