The passage of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage Control (Amendment) Bill 2026 in Parliament—removing the provision that banned e-cigarettes, vapes and nicotine pouches has triggered serious concern among public health experts and anti-tobacco organisations.
The amendment effectively opens the market to these emerging tobacco products without what experts describe as adequate regulatory safeguards, fuelling fears of heightened health risks, particularly among young people.
Public health advocates say the move contradicts a directive issued by the Appellate Division on 1 March, 2016 (Civil Appeal No. 204–205/2001), which instructed the government to take measures to reduce tobacco use within a reasonable timeframe.
They also noted that Bangladesh had earlier earned recognition for its firm stance on tobacco control following the enactment of landmark legislation in 2005. According to them, lifting the ban on e-cigarettes marks a setback to those efforts and weakens commitments to protecting public health.
The Health and Family Welfare Minister has already indicated that revenue considerations influenced the policy shift. However, experts argue that such an approach risks fostering what they describe as an “economy of disease”, noting that the annual economic cost of tobacco-related harm in Bangladesh—estimated at Tk 87,500 crore—far outweighs the revenue generated from the sector.
Citing global evidence, anti-tobacco groups said a 2023 study by the Institute for Global Tobacco Control found that 132 countries have adopted regulations or bans on e-cigarettes, including 46 that have imposed complete prohibitions.
They further warned that unregulated e-cigarette products could enable illicit drug use, with reports suggesting that harmful substances are sometimes mixed into vape liquids, increasing the risks of addiction and criminal activity.
Concerns were also raised over approval granted to a multinational tobacco company to produce nicotine pouches in Bangladesh with an investment of Tk 61 crore. Public health advocates said the move runs counter to global trends, where many countries are tightening restrictions on such products.
In a joint statement on Saturday, several anti-tobacco and public health organisations urged the Prime Minister to take immediate steps to reinstate the ban on emerging tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, and to reconsider the approval for local production of these items.
The statement was issued by a coalition of organisations, including Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance, Bangladesh Tobacco Control Advocates, Bangladesh Network for Tobacco Tax Policy, Bangladesh Tobacco Control Research Network, Bangladesh Cancer Society and others.
