Al Amin :
The government has imposed ban on brand promotional activities of Japan Tobacco International (JTI), one of the five biggest tobacco companies in the world, in the country.
The multinational company completed all its $1.47 billion acquisition of Akij Group’s tobacco business–the biggest ever single foreign direct investment in Bangladesh–on November 30 last year.
For accelerating the tobacco business in Bangladesh, the Japan’s company signed deals with some electronic and print media in Bangladesh to publish its brand promotional advertisement, which is completely contradictory to the close-5 of Tobacco Control Law.
Following the deal, Janoadhikar Foundation, an anti-tobacco campaigner, protested the deal and said that the company was conducting illegal brand promoting activities by using name and fame of poet Rabindranath Tagore and eminent actor Tahsan Rahman Khan.
The foundation also appealed to the Information Ministry to take initiative to stop the illegal brand promoting activities for the sake of public interest.
Upon the application, the ministry directed the authorities of the concerned TV channels and newspapers not to publish the advertisement through their media and issued a circular in this regard last month.
Ruzina Sultana, Deputy Secretary of the Information Ministry, told The New Nation that in view of the petition of the Janoadhikar Foundation, the concerned media have been directed not to publish the advertisement, as the advertisement would be contradictory to the Tobacco Law. So it is hoped that the media will follow the direction and refrain from publishing it.”
Contrarily, the company (JTI) said Bangladesh could expect ‘significant benefits’ from its investment in trade and supply chain infrastructure.
“Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has a track record of bringing world-class Japanese quality and innovation in the markets. We enter our established global brands, standards and practices,” said Maxim Lobachev, Managing Director of Japan Tobacco International Bangladesh.
He also said it would make future investment in the wider community through long-term and impactful corporate social responsibility partnerships with local charitable organisations, as they do in other countries.
The government has imposed ban on brand promotional activities of Japan Tobacco International (JTI), one of the five biggest tobacco companies in the world, in the country.
The multinational company completed all its $1.47 billion acquisition of Akij Group’s tobacco business–the biggest ever single foreign direct investment in Bangladesh–on November 30 last year.
For accelerating the tobacco business in Bangladesh, the Japan’s company signed deals with some electronic and print media in Bangladesh to publish its brand promotional advertisement, which is completely contradictory to the close-5 of Tobacco Control Law.
Following the deal, Janoadhikar Foundation, an anti-tobacco campaigner, protested the deal and said that the company was conducting illegal brand promoting activities by using name and fame of poet Rabindranath Tagore and eminent actor Tahsan Rahman Khan.
The foundation also appealed to the Information Ministry to take initiative to stop the illegal brand promoting activities for the sake of public interest.
Upon the application, the ministry directed the authorities of the concerned TV channels and newspapers not to publish the advertisement through their media and issued a circular in this regard last month.
Ruzina Sultana, Deputy Secretary of the Information Ministry, told The New Nation that in view of the petition of the Janoadhikar Foundation, the concerned media have been directed not to publish the advertisement, as the advertisement would be contradictory to the Tobacco Law. So it is hoped that the media will follow the direction and refrain from publishing it.”
Contrarily, the company (JTI) said Bangladesh could expect ‘significant benefits’ from its investment in trade and supply chain infrastructure.
“Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has a track record of bringing world-class Japanese quality and innovation in the markets. We enter our established global brands, standards and practices,” said Maxim Lobachev, Managing Director of Japan Tobacco International Bangladesh.
He also said it would make future investment in the wider community through long-term and impactful corporate social responsibility partnerships with local charitable organisations, as they do in other countries.
