Leading physicians and public health experts in Bangladesh have called for comprehensive tobacco tax reform in the upcoming FY 2026–27 national budget, emphasizing its critical role in reducing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and strengthening public finances, a press release said.
The call was made at a seminar titled ‘‘Increasing Tobacco Taxes for the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases: Budget FY 2026–27 Perspective,” organized by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh on Wednesday.
Delivering the welcome address, Professor Fazila-Tun-Nesa Malik, Secretary General of the organization, highlighted the urgency of prioritizing tobacco control as a key public health strategy. The keynote paper was presented by Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of the Epidemiology and Research Department at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute.
The keynote presentation noted that Bangladesh has the highest tobacco use prevalence in South Asia at 35.3% (GATS 2017). Tobacco use causes nearly 200,000 premature deaths annually in the country. In 2024 alone, the economic cost of tobacco-related health and environmental damage reached approximately BDT 87,000 crore—more than double the revenue generated from the sector.
Speakers emphasized that increasing tobacco taxes is the single most effective measure to reduce consumption. However, Bangladesh’s current multi-tiered tax structure remains complex and ineffective, allowing tobacco products to remain affordable and widely accessible.
The seminar proposed merging the low and medium-tier cigarette categories and setting a minimum retail price of BDT 100 per 10-stick pack. It also recommended prices of BDT 150 for high-tier and BDT 200 for premium cigarettes, along with a uniform specific tax of BDT 4 per pack across all tiers.
Professor Dr. Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, President of the Bangladesh Cancer Society, stated that the existing tax structure enables users to switch between price tiers, undermining cessation efforts. He noted that the proposed reform would significantly reduce tobacco use and discourage smoking initiation among youth.
Public health expert Dr. Mushtaq Hossain said that higher tobacco taxes are an effective policy tool for both public health protection and sustainable financing. He added that implementing the proposed reforms could encourage around 500,000 adults to quit smoking, preventing approximately 185,408 premature deaths among adults and 185,335 among youth in the long term. Additionally, the government could generate an estimated BDT 44,000 crore in additional revenue.
Dr. Md. Zahidul Islam Shakil, Secretary General of the Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB), warned that tobacco use is driving a surge in chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and other NCDs. He stressed that stronger taxation measures are essential to protect future generations.
Md. Akhteruzzaman, Director General of the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tobacco control. He stated that efforts are underway to make tobacco products less affordable than essential commodities and confirmed that NTCC is working toward implementing a specific tax system within the current fiscal year.
The seminar was chaired by Brig. Gen. (Retd.) Professor Md. Yunusur Rahman, Director of the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute. Among others present were Divisional Commissioner of Dhaka Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury; Professor Dr. M. Mostafa Zaman, Executive Editor of the BMU Journal; economist Taifur Rahman; Dr. Kazi Saifuddin Bennoor, Joint Secretary of the Bangladesh Lung Foundation; and Professor Syed Akram Hossain, Chairman of Clinical Oncology at Bangladesh Medical University.
Speakers concluded that implementing the proposed tobacco tax reforms would not only significantly increase government revenue but also substantially reduce tobacco use and protect public health.
