Public Health on Top

National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC), a body under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has finally withdrawn its letter, sent to Ministry of Industries (MoI) requesting the Ministry to ban the production and sale of tobacco products during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a national daily, the MoI has managed to convince the top echelons of government with the so-called revenue argument of tobacco industry and consequently the NTCC’s proposal has been rejected. It should be noted that the MoI has recently faced huge backlash from anti-tobacco activists and media after it released two letters allowing two multinational tobacco companies to continue tobacco manufacturing, sale and leaf purchase during the nationwide COVID-19 shutdown. Later, 100 prominent citizens of the country also jointly signed in a letter addressed to the Honorable Prime Minister, calling for a ban on the production and sale of tobacco products during pandemic situation. The letter from NTCC to MoI, on behalf of MoHFW, came in accordance with these moves. Such pro public health initiative from MoHFW undoubtedly deserves praise and appreciation. On the contrary, the fact that a Ministry of Bangladesh government chose side with tobacco industry despite knowing that tobacco worsens the spread of coronavirus, is utterly reprehensible.
The COVID-19 pandemic has once again reminded us how important it is to implement FCTC Article 5.3 so that different govt. ministries and bodies can be protected against interferences of tobacco industry. It is impossible to achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh while government institutions remain unprotected before the industry ploys.