Research and advocacy organisation PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) have welcomed the government’s approval of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 at the Advisory Council meeting.
The organisations have described the move as a major step for public health protection.
In a press release issued on Friday (26 December 2025), the two organisations appreciated the government’s decision and urged the authorities to publish the ordinance in the official Gazette without delay to ensure its timely implementation.
The organisations said the approval of the amendment marks a significant milestone in safeguarding public health in Bangladesh, stressing that swift gazette notification is crucial to completing the legal process and preventing undue influence by vested interests.
“To complete the legal process, the ordinance must be published in the Gazette at the earliest possible time,” said PROGGA Executive Director ABM Zubair. “Any delay increases the risk of interference by tobacco companies. In the past, we have witnessed extensive and systematic interference by the tobacco industry during similar amendment processes,” he added.
Tobacco use remains one of the most serious public health challenges in the country, with more than 130,000 people dying every year from tobacco-related diseases, including cancer, stroke, heart disease and chronic respiratory illnesses. Despite existing control measures, 35.3 per cent of the adult population in Bangladesh continues to use tobacco.
Citing research findings, PROGGA and ATMA said tobacco use and production cause annual health and environmental losses amounting to Tk 87,000 crore, a figure more than double the revenue earned from the tobacco sector during the same period. The losses place a significant burden on individuals, families and the national economy, the organisations said.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare initiated the move to further strengthen the existing tobacco control law with the aim of effectively reducing tobacco use and protecting public health.
PROGGA and ATMA said that once the ordinance is gazetted and fully implemented, it is expected to lead to a substantial reduction in tobacco-related deaths.
They also noted that effective implementation of the amended law will directly contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals target 3a, which aims to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one-third.
