High officials from British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) have occupied important positions in the country’s several business and trade organizations, making tobacco control a rather tough task, an investigation conducted by an anti-tobacco body said.

The Tobacco Industry Watch BD Team of research organization Progga recently conducted an investigation, in which it found the BATB officials to have important positions in top business bodies.

Currently, BATB has representatives holding positions of immense importance such as the Director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the Vice-President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) and the President of the Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Moreover, BATB has a representative as Director in the Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Company (IIFC), under the Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance, found the Progga study.

Two BATB officials have been designated as Director General and Treasurer of Intellectual Property Association of Bangladesh (IPAB). High-level representatives from different ministries of the government are also in the executive committee of IPAB.

The Progga investigation opined that the BATB’s sole purpose of occupying these positions is to expand its business and to influence different government policies, including the national budget through these organisations.

HM