Lawmaker, local elites and various anti-tobacco organisations across the country have vehemently condemned the order of the Ministry of Industry to the officials concerned to assist and cooperate to continue production in tobacco industries, purchase of tobacco leaf, supply and distribution of tobacco products throughout the country amid the COVID-19 crisis.
According to sources, a letter {Memo. No. 36.00.0000.057.02.003.17 (part-1). 353} dated April-3,2020, signed by Mokhlesur Rahman Akanda, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, Privatisation Section, and also another identical letter signed by the same official on April-5, 2020, has directed all concerned government authorities to assist to continue manufacturing, leaf purchase, finished goods supply and distribution of tobacco products during nationwide COVID-19 crisis.
The directives by the DS were issued as per the request from two tobacco manufacturing companies- British American Tobacco BD and the United Dhaka Tobacco Company Limited (Japan Tobacco Industries).
Issuing of such letters from a top-level government official as against the decision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to make the country tobacco-free by 2040 has been vehemently criticised by multisection of people in Rajshahi.
In separate press statements, they mentioned, while the country is in lockdown and general leave has been announced in all industries and offices of the country, such orders to continue activities and keeping the factories of multinational tobacco companies open is extremely harmful to people of the country. Such orders will help to make the Corona situation of the country further worse, the statements added.
Seven anti-tobacco organisations of the country- Progotir Jonno Gyan, National Heart Foundation, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Association for Community Development, Young Power in Social Action, Bangladesh Institute of Theatre Arts and Tamak Birodhi Nari Jote in social-media page 'Tobacco Free We' on Sunday noon have condemned vehemently to keep open the tobacco industries of the country even after knowing that the consumption and smoking of tobacco are seriously harmful to people, specially, smokers are highly vulnerable to corona infection.
They have demanded to close immediately the tobacco manufacturing factories and to exclude tobacco from essential commodity list, impose a temporary ban of selling cigarettes and tobacco products during Corona crisis, withdrawal of the order of the Ministry of Industry to continue operation of tobacco industries.
Saidur Rahman, President of Rajshahi Press Club in a statement has demanded immediately to close all tobacco factories, stop selling and marketing of tobacco products in the country immediately and expressed his concern at the order of a DS of a Ministry to continue operation of tobacco factories while all other factories of the country have been kept closed.
Jamat Khan, General Secretary of Rajshahi Raskha Sangram Parishad in a statement said, the order of the DS to continue operation of tobacco industries is highly risky for human beings and contrary to the order of the honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to eliminate tobacco from the country as soon as possible. He requested the Prime Minister to look after the issue.
Fazley Hossain Badsha, Member of Parliament of Rajshahi Sadar constituency while talking to this correspondent said, such orders to continue production in tobacco factories during this epidemic of Coronavirus by a top-level government servant of the Ministry of Industry is totally unacceptable.