British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh is set to close its long-standing manufacturing facility and head office in Dhaka’s Mohakhali area starting 1 July, following a Supreme Court order that ends its lease rights to the site.
In a regulatory filing to the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), the multinational tobacco giant confirmed its decision to relocate operations to Ashulia, where its new corporate office and factory will be based at Dehora, Dhamsona, Balibhadra Bazar at Ashulia at the north of the capital.
The move follows a legal battle that culminated on 29 May, when the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, rejected BAT Bangladesh’s final appeal to extend the lease of its Mohakhali premises—effectively ending the company’s decades-long occupancy in the area.
The Supreme Court’s verdict upheld a previous ruling by the High Court, which had dismissed BAT Bangladesh’s writ petition on 12 December 2024. The company had filed the petition after the Dhaka Cantonment Board refused to renew the lease agreement for the strategically located property within Mohakhali DOHS.
With the legal road exhausted, BAT Bangladesh is now compelled to vacate the premises and transition all operations to its new facility in Ashulia, on the outskirts of the capital. The company stated that this relocation will involve both its registered office and manufacturing functions, marking a significant shift in its operational footprint.
BAT Bangladesh, one of the largest and most profitable multinational corporations operating in the country, has not yet disclosed the logistical or financial implications of the relocation, nor its impact on employees based at the Mohakhali site.
Industry analysts view the development as a major change for the company, which has maintained a presence in the heart of Dhaka for decades. The Ashulia facility, once fully operational, is expected to serve as BAT Bangladesh’s new corporate hub.