Emdadul Huq Tuhin Receives BATA Fellowships for Investigative Reports
As a technological advances, tobacco has resurfaced in e-cigarettes with various attractive flavours. These products have now become a fashion trend, drawing in young people — and silently eating away at their vitality like woodworms. For such a report titled “Young People Addicted to Flavours, Scented Cigarettes Increasing Public Health Risks,” Md. Emdadul Huq Tuhin, Senior Correspondent of the online news portal Sarabangla.net of the Digital Bangla Media family, has received a media fellowship from the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance.
In the regional category, Md. Hedayet Hossain Molla, Khulna Correspondent of Dhaka Tribune and Bangla Tribune, also received a fellowship.
On Wednesday, 26 November, at an event titled “Limitations of the Law: Tobacco Companies Exploiting the Gaps,” jointly organised by the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance and WBB Trust at the National Press Club in Dhaka, detailed findings from investigative reports were presented.
Emdadul Huq Tuhin showcased the key findings and recommendations of his investigative report through a PowerPoint presentation.
Md. Hedayet Hossain Molla presented findings from his report titled “Glamorous Advertising Driving Cigarette Sales.”
Following the presentations, experts discussed both reports in detail.
The investigative report published on Sarabangla.net reveals that tobacco companies have introduced flavoured cigarettes across all price segments to attract young consumers.
Public health experts warn that, like regular cigarettes, flavoured ones are also a major cause of respiratory cancers. The synthetic menthol used in these products greatly increases the risk of lung allergies, tonsil inflammation, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Meanwhile, flavours such as apple, strawberry, and chocolate create a cooling sensation that encourages deeper inhalation, causing more toxic chemicals and tar to enter the body.
These cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among university students and especially among young women — a deeply concerning trend.
The report recommends adding a provision to completely ban flavoured cigarettes during the ongoing tobacco control law reform process.
The other report highlights that due to weak enforcement of the existing tobacco control law, multinational cigarette companies are aggressively promoting their products with flashy ads targeting students and young people.
Between January 2023 and October 2025 — a span of 34 months — only 50 mobile court drives were conducted in Khulna under the tobacco control law, penalising only 61 individuals.
In contrast, under the Narcotics Control Act, 801 individuals were jailed or fined in just 31 months.
Speakers at the event stated that multinational tobacco companies are exploiting weaknesses in existing laws and continuously promoting their products using new tactics. Misleading information is also being used to delay or undermine tobacco tax increases and the amendment of the tobacco control law.
Research shows that these companies are widely violating current laws. Therefore, strengthening the tobacco control law is essential for effective regulation.
The event was moderated by Syeda Anannya Rahman, Office Secretary of the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance, and presided over by Helal Ahmed, Acting Coordinator of the Alliance.
Discussants included lawyer and policy analyst Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, AID Foundation Project Director Shagufta Sultana, and TCRC Member-Secretary Md. Bazlur Rahman.
Speakers included NATAB Project Manager Firoz Ahmed, MANS Project Coordinator Umme Jannat, DASA Senior Programme Officer Moazzem Hossain, BER Senior Project and Communications Officer Ibrahim Khalil, along with more than fifty journalists.
In his professional career, Emdadul Haque Tuhin has received the DRU Best Reporting Award and the PIB–a2i Media Award.
Earlier this year, he also received an honour from the Bangladesh Embassy in Qatar during a week-long mango festival.
Tuhin is a permanent member of the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), Joint General Secretary of the Bangladesh Agricultural Journalists Forum (BAJF), and a member of the Bangladesh ICT Journalists Forum (BIJF).
DBTech/EHT/Muim/OR
