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Government should step away from tobacco companies for the sake of ethics

On one side, various measures is taken for tobacco control by the government to reduce the risks of tobacco-related death and on the other side government share in tobacco companies- these two issue are contradictory. Because having shares in tobacco company creates misperception about government’s initiatives adopted on public health including tobacco control both in national and international arena. Moreover, tobacco companies are violating the law as there are government's secretary-level representatives in tobacco company. So, government’s share and representation should be withdrawn from tobacco companies to ensure government’s commitment on development of the public health debate free and to penalize tobacco companies. Speakers remarks this in a program held on “Necessity of preventing tobacco companies interference in tobacco control” on 3 November 2016 organized by WBB Trust.   

In the light of personal experience and research on the implementation of the tobacco control law, Mahmudul Haque Moni, Senior Assistant Secretary of Bangladesh Government presented a paper. The program was presided by Gaous Pearee, Director Admin of WBB Trust where Debra Efroymson, Regional Director of HealthBridge; Syeda Anonna Rahman, Program Manager of WBB Trust discussed.  

Speakers said, government's moral position has been questioned due to being representative of BAT. Apart from that, because of having government’s share and position in governing body of tobacco companies, the cunning tobacco companies are continue violating the tobacco control law in many ways including tax evasion. So, retraction of official from tobacco companies should happen or government officials should step away from the interest of ethics. Mass media and civil society organizations as well as people have to be more vocal about the misdeeds of tobacco companies.