Japan Tobacco’s move to acquire Bangladesh cigarette maker irks anti-tobacco coalition

“Public health under threat, achieving tobacco-free Bangladesh will be hindered.”

DHAKA, Aug. 7 (NsNewsWire) — The government of Bangladesh is welcoming the world’s leading death- trader, Japan Tobacco (JT) group into the country to conduct its business in the name of brining foreign direct investment (FDI). The govt. has permitted this multinational tobacco giant to acquire United Dhaka Tobacco Company Limited (UDTC), the tobacco business of local Akij group, for BDT 124.3 billion ($1.47 billion), as per the agreement signed between these two companies. This move which will eventually put the public health of the country into a larger risk is utterly reprehensible. Multinational tobacco companies adopt product diversification and aggressive marketing strategy to occupy the local marke