By Timothy S. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

• Policy dispute: Two Bangladeshi tobacco control organizations are urging the government to ban nicotine pouches rather than to establish product standards.
• Regulatory criticism: The groups say the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution’s technical committee includes tobacco industry representatives and excludes public health officials.
• Global context: The organizations cite at least 16 countries that have prohibited nicotine pouches as they urge Bangladesh to adopt a similar approach.

Two tobacco control organizations in Bangladesh are urging the government to prohibit nicotine pouches, arguing that regulators should ban the products rather than develop manufacturing standards that could pave the way for their introduction to the country’s market.

In a joint statement released Tuesday, PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) criticized the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) for forming a technical committee to develop standards for nicotine pouches.

The organizations said the committee includes representatives of tobacco companies but excludes the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) and tobacco control organizations. They argued that industry participation conflicts with Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which requires protecting public health policies from tobacco industry influence.

The groups also expressed concern that establishing product standards could facilitate the commercial introduction of nicotine pouches in Bangladesh, despite earlier discussions by the Ministry of Health to prohibit the category.

“Although the Ministry of Health had proposed a ban on nicotine pouches, it was not incorporated into the amended tobacco control law,” said ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA. “Efforts are now under way to introduce and market the product in Bangladesh. Bangladesh should follow the example of other countries and impose a complete ban on nicotine pouches.”

PROGGA and ATMA cited WHO warnings that nicotine pouches, although free of tobacco leaf, can deliver high levels of nicotine and may contribute to addiction, particularly among adolescents and young adults. The organizations also noted that at least 16 countries, including Singapore, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Russia, have banned nicotine pouches.

The statement also cited comments by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who said the government is committed to protecting children and future generations from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine. According to the organizations, BSTI’s effort to establish national standards for nicotine pouches is inconsistent with that policy objective.