A discussion meeting organised by Development Organisation of Rural Poor (DORP) was held on Thursday, where participants demanded effective taxation and price increases on all tobacco products in the upcoming national budget for FY 2026–27 to protect public health.
The keynote paper presented at the event highlighted that Bangladesh currently employs a four-tier cigarette pricing structure: low, medium, high, and premium.
Approximately 90 per cent of cigarettes sold in the market belong to the low and medium tiers, making them highly affordable and accessible to young people and low-income populations.
The paper proposed merging the low and medium tiers, setting a minimum retail price of Tk100 per 10-stick cigarette pack, while fixing prices at Tk150 for the high tier and Tk200 for the premium tier.
Furthermore, the proposal recommended maintaining a 67 per cent supplementary duty across all tiers and imposing a specific tax of Tk4 per pack.
Implementing these measures could discourage more than 372,000 youths from starting to smoke and prevent over 185,000 premature deaths in the long term.
Speaking as the chief guest, Farhad Hossain Azad, state minister for Water Resources, said strengthening tobacco control is a key commitment of the government’s election manifesto.
He noted that while the prices of essential commodities rose by 27 to 89 per cent between 2021 and 2023, cigarette prices increased by only 6 to 15 per cent.
Consequently, cigarettes have become relatively cheaper despite rising living costs. He assured that he would raise the issue of effective taxation in Parliament and with relevant policymakers.
Special guest lawmaker Sultana Jesmin Jui expressed concern that tobacco harms extend to women, children, and entire families.
She noted that Bangladesh has the highest tobacco use rate in South Asia, with nearly 200,000 people dying prematurely every year from related diseases.
In 2024, the economic burden of tobacco-related damage amounted to nearly Tk87,000 crore, more than double the revenue generated from the sector. She cited the example of the Philippines, where cigarette sales declined by 28.1 per cent following tax reforms while government revenue more than tripled.
Lawmaker S M Jahangir Hossain added that the existing tax structure causes the government to lose nearly Tk44,000 crore in potential annual revenue. He argued that these funds could significantly improve education, healthcare, and social protection programmes.
The seminar commenced with a welcome speech by DORP Founder and CEO AHM Noman.
The session was moderated by Deputy Executive Director Mohammad Zobayer Hasan, and closing remarks were delivered by Chairman Mohammad Nurul Amin.
