Dhaka: State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad on Thursday emphasized that protecting public health and strengthening tobacco control are significant commitments in the current government's election manifesto. This statement was made during a discussion meeting organized by the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka. The meeting called for effective taxation and price increases on all tobacco products in the upcoming national budget for FY 2026-27 to safeguard public health.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Azad highlighted the necessity of not only enforcing tobacco control laws but also implementing effective taxation and price hikes on tobacco products. He pointed out that while prices of essential commodities rose by 27 to 89 percent from 2021 to 2023, cigarette prices only increased by 6 to 15 percent during the same period. This discrepancy has made cigarettes relatively more affordable, threatening the health of young people and low-income communities. Azad assured attendees that he would advocate for increased tobacco prices and effective taxation in Parliament and discuss these issues with relevant policymakers.
The keynote paper presented at the event revealed that Bangladesh currently has a four-tier cigarette pricing structure: low, medium, high, and premium. Approximately 90 percent of cigarettes sold belong to the low and medium tiers, making them highly affordable and easily accessible to young people and low-income populations. This situation undermines tobacco control efforts among these groups. The paper proposed merging the low and medium tiers, setting a minimum retail price of TK100 per 10-stick cigarette pack, and fixing prices at BDT 150 for the high tier and TK 200 for the premium tier.
Recommendations included maintaining a 67 percent supplementary duty across all tiers and imposing a specific tax of BDT 4 per pack. The presentation suggested that implementing these proposals could deter over 372,000 youths from starting to smoke and prevent more than 185,000 premature deaths among young people in the long term.
Special guest Sultana Jesmin Jui MP expressed concern that the harms of tobacco extend beyond users, affecting women, children, and entire families. She noted that Bangladesh has the highest tobacco use rate in South Asia, with nearly 200,000 annual premature deaths from tobacco-related diseases. In 2024, the economic burden of tobacco-related health and environmental damages was nearly TK 87,000 crore, more than double the revenue generated from the tobacco sector. She cited the Philippines' example, where cigarette sales declined by 28.1 percent between 2012 and 2015 after implementing sin tax reforms, while government revenue more than tripled. Jui pledged to advocate in Parliament for protecting public health and safeguarding women, children, and youths from tobacco's harmful impacts.
S M Jahangir Hossain MP highlighted that the existing tobacco tax structure results in a potential annual revenue loss of nearly TK 44,000 crore for the government. He supported social movements on tobacco control, noting that this significant amount could greatly enhance education, healthcare, and social protection programs.
The seminar began with a welcome speech by DORP Founder and CEO AHM Noman, and closing remarks were delivered by Chairman Mohammad Nurul Amin. The session was moderated by Deputy Executive Director Mohammad Zobayer Hasan, with attendance from anti-tobacco youth representatives Naima Ahmed, Imran Hasan, and other distinguished participants.