Bangladesh continues to experience a high level of tobacco industry interference in policymaking and has recorded the worst position in Asia, according to the Tobacco Industry Interference Index: Bangladesh 2025.
The findings were unveiled on Monday at an event jointly organised by research and advocacy organisation PROGGA Knowledge for Progress and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance, according to a press release.
The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025 scored Bangladesh 69 out of 100, where a lower score indicates better compliance with Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Among the 100 countries covered in the index, Bangladesh ranked 66th.
Within South Asia, Nepal ranked 43rd, India 59th, Pakistan 54th, Sri Lanka 45th and the Maldives 39th.
Globally, Brunei performed best with a score of 14, while the Dominican Republic ranked worst with a score of 98, the study showed.
The Bangladesh country report was prepared by PROGGA as part of the global index, using publicly available information on incidents that occurred between April 2023 and March 2025.
The study assessed how the government addressed tobacco industry interference and responded to it in line with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Article 5.3 guidelines, finding significant gaps in compliance.
Although Bangladesh adopted the Article 5.3 guidelines in 2008, the study found that the country has yet to formulate and implement a code of conduct for government offices in line with the guidelines.
As a result, the tobacco industry continues to interfere in the amendment process of the tobacco control law, maintain unnecessary interaction with policymakers, promote brand image through corporate social responsibility activities and enjoy financial and policy-related benefits, the report said.
The study found that tobacco companies have persistently engaged in lobbying, sponsored so-called research, organised roundtable discussions, press conferences, media campaigns, online petitions and image-building activities through CSR programmes.
It also noted that the government has been reluctant to disclose interactions with the tobacco industry, while state ownership in a multinational tobacco company and the presence of former and current government officials on its board pose serious conflicts of interest in policymaking.
The study recommended formulating and enforcing a code of conduct for all government bodies in line with Article 5.3, finalising the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage Control Amendment Ordinance 2025 and barring the entry of new foreign and local tobacco companies.
It also urged denying the establishment of new tobacco-related factories in Special Economic Zones and Export Processing Zones, removing cigarettes from the list of essential commodities under the Essential Commodity Act 1956 and divesting government investments from tobacco companies.
The report further recommended introducing a simple and effective tobacco price and tax policy in line with Article 6 of the convention to reduce tobacco use and demand.
“The amendment ordinance of the tobacco control law has received final approval from the Advisory Council, which is very good news,” said former caretaker government adviser and economist Hossain Zillur Rahman.
“Now the ordinance must be published in the Gazette as soon as possible, and we do not want to see any further interference at this stage,” he said.
The discussion featured Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control Head of Global Research and Advocacy Mary Assunta, former Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation Chairman Md Mostafizur Rahman, former National Tobacco Control Cell Coordinator Md Ruhul Quddus, WBB Trust Executive Director Saifuddin Ahmed, Vital Strategies Senior Technical Advisor Syed Mahbubul Alam, Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance Convenor Mortuza Haider Liton and PROGGA Executive Director ABM Zubair.
The event was moderated by Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance co-convener Nadira Kiron, while PROGGA Head of Programs Md Hasan Shahriar presented the key findings, with representatives from anti-tobacco organisations and civil society also in attendance.
