BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: More than 20 local tobacco companies in different districts of Bangladesh are illegally producing and marketing cigarettes at cheap prices in violation of the prevailing Tobacco Control Act, Boiler Act, Labor Act, Environmental Protection Act, Trademark Act, Stamp and Banderole Regulations of the country. As a result, the government is losing revenue and public health is facing threats. Therefore the illegal activities of all these tobacco companies, the tobacco control policy has become ineffective in marketing the use of cigarettes in an irresistible manner. News of these illegal activities of tobacco companies has been published electronic and printing media of the country at different times. But appropriate authorities have not taken necessary action.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: Manobik and Alliance for FCTC Implementation Bangladesh (AFIB) through a network of organizations, the news published newspapers and the names and addresses of illegal tobacco companies were collected. Manobik (NGO) sent a legal notice to the appropriate authorities of the government to take strict action against the illegal tobacco companies. Manobik filed a writ petition in the Honorable High Court & hearing the rule, respondents are directed to take appropriate measures imminently to stop and seize production of all kinds of illegal cigarettes by the illegal factories until they obtained Environmental certificate and complied with the requirements set out in the provisions of the Environment Act-1995, The Boilers Act-1923 and The labor act-2006.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: Given priority to public and environmental health. Also to protect of labor rights. Besides, as a result of the writ petition, the activities of about 20 illegal tobacco companies have been stopped. In the future, tobacco companies will be careful and will refrain from doing all kinds of illegal activities.
CONCLUSIONS: It has been possible stopping the illegal factories and marketing of tobacco companies through the writ petition. Also, the relevant laws have been implemented.