Six organisations have launched a mass media campaign to promote front-of-package warning labels on packaged foods and drinks high in sugar, salt and saturated fat, aiming to help consumers identify unhealthy products and make informed choices.
The campaign was launched at a press conference at the National Press Club in the capital today (25 October).
The organisers are the Coalition for Healthy Food, Centre for Law and Policy Affairs (CLPA), Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), National Heart Foundation (NHF), Progga and Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust.
The initiative comes as diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for nearly 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh, reads a press release.
Around 31.8% of adults are overweight and 13.4% live with obesity, raising their risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke, added the press release.
Front-of-package warning labels are intended to help consumers quickly identify packaged foods and drinks containing excessive amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fat.
The labels make nutritional information easier to understand and can discourage people from buying unhealthy products.
Md Safiqul Islam, chairman of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) and an additional secretary, attended the event as chief guest and formally inaugurated the campaign.
"Ensuring safe food remains one of the authority's key priorities. To this end, the BFSA is working to formulate the necessary regulations on front-of-package warning labels (FOPL) to raise public awareness of unhealthy packaged foods and beverages high in sugar, salt and saturated fat," he said.
Dr Sohel Reza Choudhury, professor and head of research and epidemiology at NHF, chaired the event, while Iqbal Masud, director of the health and WASH sector at DAM, moderated it.
Professor Dr Mohammad Shoeb, BFSA member responsible for food industry and production, and Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh country lead at Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), attended as special guests.
Saifuddin Ahmed, executive director of WBB Trust; ABM Zubair, executive director of Progga; and Advocate Syed Mahbubul Alam, secretary of CLPA, were also present.
The two-month campaign will continue until 13 December 2026 through television, radio, digital platforms, social media, online and print newspapers, and Google advertising.
Campaign materials will include video and audio advertisements, static images and other public information content, which will also be shared through the partner organisations' social media pages.
The organisers said the campaign would support government efforts to introduce regulations on front-of-package warning labels for packaged foods and drinks in Bangladesh.