British American Tobacco Bangladesh - Our corporate social responsibility

Our corporate social responsibility

BAT Bangladesh has been one of the pioneers of sustainability with the first initiative dating back to 1980. Responsibility is a way of life for us.


As a responsible Company, BAT Bangladesh believes that the business has a key role to play in helping society to achieve the necessary sustainable balance of economic growth, environmental protection and social progress. Among the numerous ESG initiatives that we drive, the following corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects are which have created their own legacy since inception.

Afforestation: Largest private-sector driven afforestation program in the country

 Afforestation: Largest private-sector driven afforestation program in the country

BAT Bangladesh initiated its afforestation programme in 1980 when the forest department called on the private sector to support its endeavor to conserve the forests. So far, we have contributed around 120 million saplings to the country’s afforestation initiative over the last 4 decades. It is presumably the largest private sector driven afforestation initiative in Bangladesh.

The Project has also won international recognition when BAT Bangladesh was awarded Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Award in 2014 under Green Leadership by Enterprise Asia, a non-governmental organization striving for the pursuit of entrepreneurship development in Asia Region. As a national recognition for special contribution in tree plantation, BAT Bangladesh has received the prestigious Prime Minister’s National Award for 5 years (1993, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2019) and the Chief Advisor’s Award in 2007. The programme is designed to focus on the socio-economic needs of the communities as well as the overall environmental perspectives.

Safe drinking water: Ensuring healthier lives with safe drinking water

 Safe drinking water: Ensuring healthier lives with safe drinking water

Having recognized the gravity of clean water and sanitation and in the context of the then Millennium Development Goals, BAT Bangladesh has stepped forward with a safe drinking water project in 2009. As a part of the safe drinking water initiative, BAT Bangladesh has already installed 117 filtration plants to make water free from arsenic and other harmful contents across arsenic prone areas in the country. All the water filtration plants now purify around 583,000 litres of drinking water, meeting the need of around 283,000 people every day. The plants are maintained by local committees consisting of members from local communities. With the installation of the safe drinking water plants, more than hundred communities in rural areas are now living a better life than before and having enriched livelihoods.

Solar home systems: Bringing ray of hope to rural communities with solar home systems

 Solar home systems: Bringing ray of hope to rural communities with solar home systems

BAT Bangladesh provides solar home systems free of cost to rural communities of the country which are currently beyond the scope of electricity. So far, the Company has installed around 2,591 units of solar home systems in around 25 villages of Bandarban, Khagrachari and Rangamati districts, illuminating the community and its people in the off-grid areas of the country. Now, more than 15,000 rural people are connected with electricity for the first time. This initiative will continue its journey to kindle hope in remote rural communities by bringing in a completely new dimension to the lives of people, progressing it with the power of renewable energy.