Photo: BSS

DHAKA, April 24, 2025 (BSS)– Public health experts, doctors, economists and anti-tobacco campaigners today called for urgent reforms to strengthen the country’s tobacco control law, stressing that without such action, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and preventing premature deaths will be unattainable.  

They made the call in a seminar titled "Strengthening of Tobacco Control Law to Safeguard Public Health and Achieving SDGs: Bangladesh Perspective", organized jointly by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and ATMA (Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance) in the capital’s CIRDAP Auditorium, said a media release.

Noting that tobacco is a leading contributor to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), they highlighted that tobacco use claims nearly 442 lives every day in Bangladesh, warning that any delay in strengthening tobacco control laws will only lead to a rising death toll.

Speaking as the chief guest, Rasheda K Choudhury, former adviser to the Caretaker Government and Executive Director of the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), emphasized the urgent need for a completely smoke-free environment to protect non-smokers, particularly women and children.

“There is no alternative to strengthening the tobacco control law if we have to achieve that goal,” she said.

Dr Abu Jamil Faisel, public health expert and President-elect to the Public Health Association, echoed similar concerns. “Tobacco use is a major cause of cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and other non-communicable diseases. Strengthening the tobacco control law is essential for achieving SDGs,” he said.

Dr Mahfuz Kabir, Research Director at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Member of the Local Government Reform Commission, mentioned the economic arguments are often made by the tobacco industry.

“Tobacco companies frequently claim that stricter regulations could reduce government revenue. However, NBR data shows this claim is completely unfounded. In the long term, we must reduce our reliance on tobacco-related revenue and develop alternative sources of income,” he explained.

Dr Syed Abdul Hamid, Professor of the Institute of Health Economics, University of Dhaka, stressed the broader impact of reform, saying “Strengthening the tobacco control law is essential for protecting public health and doing so will ultimately benefit both the people and the government.”

Dr Anupam Hossain, public health expert and Consultant for International Sports Development, raised concerned over emerging products. “E-cigarette use is surging among youth, and their harmful effects are comparable to traditional tobacco products. These products must be addressed through amendments of  the tobacco control law,” he said.

Other speakers included Mortuza Haider Liton, Convener of ATMA; ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA and representatives from various anti-tobacco organizations.

A study estimates that 5 percent of the total income of a tobacco-user family is spent on tobacco consumption and 10 percent of its monthly expense goes to the treatment of tobacco related diseases.

Bangladesh spends nearly TK 30,500 crore each year in treating tobacco-related illnesses. This is how tobacco use makes the poor even poorer and hinders achieving SDG-1: No Poverty.

Moreover, the expansion of tobacco cultivation in over 100,000 acres of arable land throughout the country is gradually putting the achievement of food security and sustainable agriculture (SDG-2) in jeopardy.