Articles & Interviews

Tobacco is deadly harmful to public health and the environment, it is widely recognized. More than 80 million people die in the world every year due to tobacco addiction, 80% of these deaths are occurring in developing countries including Bangladesh. Awareness increasing about many harmful aspects of tobacco in the developed countries of the world and the strictness of law forced clever tobacco companies to withdraw tobacco business from those countries. For this reason, tobacco companies are developing fraudulent programs in developing countries like Bangladesh to spread the business of deadly products.

According to the study, Bangladesh is one of the top 10 tobacco user countries in the world and in Bangladesh, more than 1 lakh 61 thousand people die prematurely. The government has passed and amended the Smoking and Tobacco Use (Control) Act, 2005 in the country regarding the multi-dimensional harm of tobacco. The Hon’ble Prime Minister vowed to establish ‘Smoke-free Bangladesh’ within 2040. However, tobacco companies continue to exploit the government’s tobacco control programs for ensuring public health. Fraudulent tobacco companies are pushing people to use harmless tobacco drugs through various tactics to expand their business. Basically, the main purpose of the tobacco company is to make profit. Tobacco diseases and premature death are not their consideration!

It is said that youths are an invaluable asset to the country. They are the future. Today’s youth will be the next prime minister, president, doctor, engineer, lawyer. Whatever the profession, the intention is for young people to work for the country and the people. Poet Subir Kashmir Pererar said in the poem – As long as the country is in your hands, Bangladesh will not lose its way.

Young people will be able to lead the country in the right direction only when they have the right leadership and good health by conducting their lives in the right way. Health is the key to all happiness and success. The well-being of the people is also one of the determinants of overall success.

In the context of ‘good health or sickness’, various factors come to the fore. For example, a significant portion of the youth who starts smoking in the lure of profitable tobacco companies, which is being pushed into other addictions through smoking, is serious concerning issue to the country. As a result, the future of Bangladesh has been darkened like the smoke of bidi-cigarettes. Tobacco companies are targeting youths to expand their business by promotion, marketing and various fraudulent activities.

The new version of their deceptive program is “Battle of Mind.” As the prevailing tobacco control law prohibits the direct promotion of tobacco products, advertisements, and incentives, tobacco companies are arranging competitions with their motto to provide jobs but this is actually the promotion of these companions in the name of law violation. The British American Tobacco Company is conducting a program called “Battle of Mind” among the students of various universities of the country. Trying to build an image in the face of social responsibility, the tobacco companies are trying their best. Out of thousands of competitors, BATB offers the permanent job opportunity to a few in hand. By capitalizing the lack of employment in the country, BATB officials are working to achieve their business objectives through a program called “Battle of Mind”. Their main purpose is to promote tobacco products although they spend billions to organize programs and provide sponsorship. To engage young people in this work is one of the major strategies and successes of expanding their business. On the other hand, the tobacco company is pushing the young society of the country in the path of darkness by the name of scintillating events but the guardian and the society are not aware of the news.

Tobacco control law prohibits the promotion of tobacco companies in the name of any kind of direct, indirect advertising, publicity, and sponsorship to promote the marketing of this product or to attract people to use tobacco products. Even then, in 2015, British American Tobacco has spent more than 193 crores on promoting only cigarette brands in Bangladesh! However, to carry the expense of these types of programs and to give awards using the tobacco company’s name, sign, a trademark is prohibited in section 5 (c) of the Smoking and Tobacco Use (Control) Act, 2005 (Amendment 2013). Even in violation of this section of the law, there is a fine of one lakh taka or imprisonment up to three months otherwise both of these punishments.

As part of the campaign to promote the use of tobacco products, representatives of the company are carrying out lawless activities like quiz, balloon bursting, free t-shirts, lighters, bags, wallets, batch lights, free cigarette distribution in various areas of the country. Tobacco companies are conducting such activities by employing college or university students in a part-time job. It may be noted that tobacco companies are conducting more such activities in schools, colleges, and universities and in the vicinity of crowded shopping malls so that young people can be easily attracted to smoking. Most of these salesmen are young and young students are studying in different colleges or universities. Basically, companies are utilizing youth to promote their brand in the guise of false jobs.

In order to grow as a good citizen and to have a healthy life, young people need to stay away from drugs and they should be active in positive work. But, it’s disappointing to see a university passed youth ferrying cigarettes for sale! Everyone is aware of the country’s employment crisis. However, everyone should be refrained from carrying the death knell by lacking the mortality. This will make profits for the cunning tobacco companies, causing people to die prematurely due to tobacco.

It is to be noted due to the demands of the tobacco control workers, the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology was forced to stop the “Battle of Mind” program. That year, Dhaka South City Mayor Saeed Khokon dismissed the invitation as chief guest at the Grand Final of the ‘Battle of Mind 2017’ competition. Recently, Dhaka University authority has shut down the Battle of Mind program. All of these make us hopeful. All other educational institutions and individuals in the country should be excluded from the tobacco company’s immoral activities.

Tobacco companies are not above state law. Rather, the implementation of ‘tobacco-free Bangladesh’ will be accelerated if we can strictly control the tobacco companies by implementing tobacco control laws by giving priority to public health. The safety of our future generations will be guaranteed. That is why it is important to stop any misconduct, including the ‘Battle of Mind’ of the tobacco company. Hopefully, the concerned authorities of the government will take effective steps in this regard immediately.

– Md. Abu Rayhan (Development Worker), arayhan2020@gmail.com