Protesters Demand Immediate Cancellation of BEZA’s Approval for Deadly Nicotine Pouch Factory
Times 24.net: The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) has approved the establishment of a factory for producing deadly “Nicotine Pouch,” a decision that threatens the country’s youth and future generations. This approval not only contradicts a directive from the High Court but also runs counter to the government’s public health protection policies. The “nicotine pouch” is a new trap set by tobacco companies, it is used by placing it inside the mouth, creating addiction and drawing in young people. As it is highly addictive and harmful to health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued warnings, and 34 countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, and France have already banned this product. Therefore, to protect public health, the approval granted to Philip Morris for producing nicotine pouches must be revoked.
This statement was made by speakers during a protest titled “Cancel the Approval for the Disease-Causing ‘Nicotine Pouch’ Factory” held on Thursday (November 6) at 3:30 p.m. in front of BEZA’s head office on the main road in Agargaon, Dhaka. The event was jointly organized by the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA) and Bangladesh Tobacco Control Advocates (BTCA). Among those present at the protest were Iqbal Masud, Convener of BTCA; Sagufata Sultana, Local Government Expert; Farahana Zaman Liza, Tobacco Control Researcher; Abu Naser Onik, Senior Project Officer at Aid Foundation; Umme Jannat, Project Coordinator at MANAS; Syeda Anannya Rahman, Office Secretary of the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance; and Firoz Ahmed, Project Manager at NATAB among others.
The program, conducted by tobacco control activist Abu Raihan, featured speakers who stated that nicotine pouches are by no means a safe alternative to smoking. Replacing one form of addiction with another cannot be considered a sound public health decision. Research has shown that nicotine pouches damage the mouth, gums, lungs, liver, and kidneys; increase the risk of heart disease and stroke; and have severe effects on adolescent brain development. In other words, under the pretext of reducing smoking, an effort is being made to addict people to a new substance.
Speakers further added that in 2016, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court explicitly ruled that no new tobacco company or factory should be approved in Bangladesh. Instead, existing tobacco companies were to be transformed into other industries. BEZA’s current decision therefore not only violates public health obligations and the state’s constitutional duty under Article 18(1) to promote public welfare, but also breaches the Supreme Court’s directive. They emphasized that this decision is ethically unacceptable, no organization has the right to spread new forms of addiction in the name of public health. They also noted that, under the leadership of the Chief Adviser, 35 ministries have already committed to work together to control non-communicable diseases. The Health Ministry’s proposed amendment to the Tobacco Control Act also explicitly calls for banning such nicotine products.
At the end of the event, representatives from BATA and BTCA submitted a memorandum to BEZA’s Executive Chairman demanding the immediate revocation of Philip Morris’s approval to produce nicotine pouches, accountability for those involved in violating court rulings and the Constitution, strict prohibition on future approval of public health, harming products, and a positive role of BEZA in building a tobacco-free Bangladesh.
