Bangladesh at a crossroads: Protect lives, not tobacco industry
Bangladesh has long stood as a pioneer in global public health, becoming one of the first nations to ratify the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). At the heart of this treaty lies Article 5.3, a powerful provision that recognizes a simple truth: the interests of the tobacco industry are fundamentally and irreconcilably opposed to public health. By signing this treaty, the government made a solemn pledge to protect its citizens from the devastating harm of tobacco and to keep policymaking free from industry interference. This was not a symbolic promise but a binding commitment to shield the nation from one of the most destructive commercial epidemics in human history.