Dhaka: Engineer Sanzida Islam Tuli, a Member of Parliament from the reserved women's seat of the Government of Bangladesh, emphasized the necessity of increasing tobacco product prices to safeguard future generations from tobacco's detrimental effects. She spoke as a special guest at a discussion titled 'The Necessity of Increasing Taxes on Tobacco Products to Protect Youth from the Harmful Effects of Tobacco,' organized by Nari Maitree at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Tuli highlighted the role of youths in moving the country forward while expressing concern over tobacco companies targeting young people for profit. She stressed the government's commitment to public health and tobacco control and recommended raising taxes and prices on tobacco products in the upcoming budget to achieve these goals. Tuli assured that she would address this issue during the parliamentary session and urged the government to take strong measures.
Bangladesh ranks as one of the world's largest tobacco-consuming countries, with a tobacco use rate of 35.3 percent, the highest among South Asian countries. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2017 reported that approximately 37.8 million adults in Bangladesh currently use tobacco. Tobacco Atlas 2025 indicated that nearly 200,000 people die annually in Bangladesh from tobacco-related diseases, with several hundred thousand more suffering disabilities. Research by the Health Economics Institute of the University of Dhaka found that tobacco sector revenue in the 2024-25 fiscal year was around Tk 41,000 crore, while tobacco-related damages cost the country nearly Tk 87,000 crore annually.
For the 2026-27 fiscal year, a proposal suggests reducing the existing four cigarette price tiers to three to simplify tax collection and increase prices. The proposal recommends merging the two lower tiers and setting the price of a 10-stick pack at Tk 100, with high-tier and premium-tier packs priced at Tk 150 and Tk 200, respectively. It also proposes maintaining a 67 percent supplementary duty on all cigarette tiers and imposing a fixed tax of Tk 4 per 10-stick pack.
Shibani Bhattacharya, convener of Nari Maitree mothers' forum against tobacco, pointed out the disparity between rising prices of essential goods and stagnant bidi and cigarette prices, highlighting their affordability for young and low-income groups. Professor Dr. Shafiun Nahin Shimul from the University of Dhaka's Health Economics Institute noted that the proposed price and tax increases could encourage nearly 500,000 adults to quit smoking, deter over 372,000 young people from starting, and increase tobacco tax revenue to exceed Tk 85,000 crore.
Abir Hossain from Nari Maitree youth forum against tobacco underscored the importance of raising tobacco product prices to prevent youth addiction. Shaheen Akhtar Dolly, Executive Director of Nari Maitree, chaired the meeting, which saw participation from members of anti-tobacco mothers', teachers', journalists', and youth forums, all demanding higher taxes on tobacco products.