I’m delighted to share that my research titled “Myths and Realities of Tobacco Companies: An Analysis of BATB’s 10-Year Financial Reports” has been published in the DIU Journal of Humanities & Social Science. I am grateful to the editorial board of this international peer-reviewed journal.
It took over one and a half years to analyze ten annual reports, uncovering financial irregularities within multinational cigarette giant BAT Bangladesh-a truly time-intensive effort.
Beyond my broadcast journalism work, this is a signature research for me. In Bangladesh, it is widely believed that BAT spends a significant amount on CSR, yet there has been little clarity on the actual figures-and almost no critical questions raised about its real CSR expenditure. Through this study, I revealed that BAT Bangladesh spent only around BDT 640 million on CSR over ten years, whereas a single private bank in Bangladesh spends more than BDT 1 billion annually. This raises important questions about how such limited CSR expenditure still translates into national recognition and a strong public image-an issue I have explored in this research.
This work also led to my second book on the subject, published in a bilingual format. The study examines financial anomalies and CSR practices of BAT Bangladesh over a decade.
