Two leading anti-tobacco advocacy groups — PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) — have raised alarm over Philip Morris International’s plan to establish a nicotine pouch manufacturing plant in Bangladesh, calling it a direct violation of a government directive issued by the Chief Adviser’s Office.

The organizations said the move undermines the government’s efforts to safeguard public health.

In May 2025, the Chief Adviser’s Office prohibited the establishment of any factory producing e-cigarettes, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), or related products.

Earlier, on January 1, the Ministry of Commerce banned the import of e-cigarettes and ENDS products through a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO).

Nicotine pouches — small, flavored sachets that deliver nicotine without burning or chewing tobacco — are marketed globally as “next-generation” alternatives.

However, public health experts, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have warned that these products pose health risks comparable to traditional smokeless tobacco.

Despite the ban, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) reportedly approved Philip Morris’s plan to set up a nicotine pouch factory in the Meghna Industrial Economic Zone, including permission for raw material imports and domestic sales.

PROGGA and ATMA described the approval as a “clear breach” of government policy and a threat to public health, especially as such products are increasingly popular among youth.

“Granting permission to establish a nicotine pouch factory clearly violates the directive of the Chief Adviser’s Office. The government must act immediately to revoke this approval,” said ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA.

Both organizations also urged the government to expedite passage of the proposed amendment to the Tobacco Control Law, which includes a total ban on the production, import, sale, and marketing of nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco, and other similar products.

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