Marlboro to be Marketed in Bangladesh - One of the Poorest and Densely Populated Countries in the World..

August 26, 2007 - Marlboro to be Marketed in Bangladesh - One of the Poorest and Densely Populated Countries in the World.. The world's leading tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris (PM) has tied up with a Bangladeshi firm to sell Marlboro cigarettes in the local market, company officials said Sunday. The Marlboros will be manufactured and distributed by the Dhaka Tobacco Company - the city of Dhaka in one of the lowest ranking cities for health and sanitation in the world. "This agreement will benefit both companies," Matteo Pelligrini, president of PM International, Asia, said in a statement. Marlboro's entry into the Bangladesh market is likely to challenge the grip of British American Tobacco on high-priced brands, though Uddin declined to give a specific price per packet. Dhaka Tobacco, the largest tobacco company in Bangladesh, produced 20 billion cigarettes in 2006 for an estimated market share of about 40 percent. But the company, with annual sales of around 300 million dollars, dominates here only in terms of the low- and medium-priced brands. Bangladesh is one of the most profitable tobacco markets in the world, with annual sales of around one billion dollars. More than 40% of Bangladeshi men smoke, according to industry figures. Most likely target audience - 40% of the population is under 15 years old. The illiteracy rate in Bangladesh is extremely high. Easy targets to convince to smoke tobacco. (Marlboros to make Bangladesh debut, Yahoo News - Singapore) Meanwhile back in the States PM is trying to persuade the public its a good corporate citizen.