PROGGA, ATMA urge scrapping of Philip Morris’s nicotine pouch factory in Bangladesh

The organisations say the move “defies” directives from the Chief Advisor’s Office and “undermines” efforts to safeguard public health

PROGGA: Knowledge for Progress and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) have expressed serious concern over Philip Morris’s move to establish a nicotine pouch manufacturing factory in Bangladesh, which they say “violates” a directive from the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO).

In a media statement on Tuesday, the two organisations said the initiative goes against the government’s ongoing efforts to protect public health.

It read that in May 2025, the CAO prohibited the establishment of any factory producing e-cigarettes, Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) devices, or related products in Bangladesh.

The statement added that earlier, on Jan 1, the Ministry of Commerce banned the import of all e-cigarettes and ENDS-related products through a Statutory Regulatory Order.

A nicotine pouch is described as a means of consuming nicotine without smoking or chewing tobacco, typically infused with flavourings and chemicals, and marketed globally as a next-generation nicotine product.

The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority’s approval allowing Philip Morris to set up a nicotine pouch factory in the Meghna Industrial Economic Zone for domestic sales, including provisions for raw material imports, constitutes “a clear violation” of government directives, the organisations said.

According to them, despite being branded as “less harmful,” international organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have warned that nicotine pouches pose “severe” health risks similar to traditional smokeless tobacco products.

The press note said nicotine pouches and other new-generation products are rapidly gaining popularity among children, teenagers, and young adults, posing a growing threat to public health.

At least 34 countries, including Belgium, Russia, Uzbekistan, and France, have already banned or strictly regulated the sale of nicotine pouches, it added.

“Granting permission to establish a nicotine pouch factory clearly violates the directive of the Chief Advisor’s Office. The government must act immediately to cancel this approval,” said ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA, a research and advocacy organisation.

The statement noted that the draft amendment to the Tobacco Control Law proposes a total ban on the manufacture, import, sale, and marketing of nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes, vapes, ENDS, heated tobacco products, and other similar items.

It urged the government to finalise and enact the amendment without delay to safeguard public health.