IUBAT Observes World Breastfeeding Week 2026: Addressing Aggressive Marketing by Infant Food Companies

On the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week 2026, the International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) organized a special seminar. The event was hosted by the Department of Public Health at the university’s permanent campus in Uttara, Dhaka, and was attended by faculty members and students of the department.
The seminar began with a welcome address by Mr. Quazi AQM Mohiul Islam, former Director General of the Directorate General of Family Planning and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Public Health at IUBAT. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of breastfeeding for newborn health and emphasized the role of public health professionals in ensuring that every child has access to breast milk.
The keynote presentation was delivered by Professor Dr. SK Nazmul Huda, Chairman of the Department of Public Health. His presentation focused on the adverse impact of commercialization on breastfeeding and discussed the aggressive marketing strategies by companies that manufacture powdered milk and other breast milk substitutes.
Speakers at the seminar explained how these companies use psychological marketing tactics to create unnecessary fears and doubts among new parents, discouraging them from breastfeeding. They called for greater public awareness to prevent the exploitation of parents’ psychological vulnerabilities for commercial gain and urged stronger enforcement of legal measures to protect and promote breastfeeding.