A mass media campaign to raise public awareness and support for front-of-package warning labels on high-sugar, high-salt, and high-saturated-fat packaged foods and drinks was launched in Dhaka on Sunday.
The campaign aims to support government efforts to introduce warning labels that help consumers identify unhealthy products that may harm their health.
The campaign, named the FOPL Campaign, was launched at a press conference at the National Press Club on Sunday. It is jointly organized by the Coalition for Healthy Food, the Center for Law and Policy Affairs (CLPA), Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), the National Heart Foundation (NHF), PROGGA and Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust.
The initiative comes amid a growing burden of diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh. NCDs account for nearly 71% of all deaths in the country, with cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes among the leading causes. Overweight prevalence among adults is approximately 31.8%, while 13.4% are living with obesity. Overweight and obesity increase the risk of NCDs, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Front-of-package warning labels help consumers quickly identify packaged foods and drinks containing excessive amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fat. By making nutritional information clearer and easier to understand, the labels can help people make informed choices and discourage purchases of unhealthy products. They are considered an evidence-based policy tool to improve food environments and reduce diet-related diseases.
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) Chairman Md Safiqul Islam, an additional secretary, attended the launch as chief guest and formally inaugurated the campaign.
The event was chaired by Dr Sohel Reza Choudhury, professor and head of research and epidemiology at NHF, and moderated by Iqbal Masud, director of the health and WASH sector at DAM.
Professor Dr Mohammad Shoeb, BFSA member 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.
Safiqul Islam said ensuring food safety remained one of the authority’s key priorities. The BFSA was working to formulate the necessary regulations on front-of-package warning labels to raise awareness of unhealthy packaged foods and beverages high in sugar, salt and saturated fat, he said.
The two-month campaign will run until December 13, 2026, across television and radio, digital platforms, social media, online and print newspapers, and Google advertising.
The campaign will highlight unhealthy ingredients and excessive levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat in commonly consumed packaged products. It will also support the government in introducing regulations on front-of-package warning labels for packaged foods and drinks in Bangladesh.
Campaign materials include video and audio commercials, static images and other public-facing content, which will also be shared through partner organisations’ social media pages.