Published: 11:56 PM, 10 September 2026
'Tobacco products major obstacle to SDGs'
Around 200,000 people die each year from tobacco-related diseases in Bangladesh, making tobacco use a big challenge to achieve health-related goals, which was noted during a discussion program in the capital. -Collected
Tobacco and nicotine products are major contributing factors to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and cancer, which account for nearly 71 percent of all deaths in Bangladesh, according to PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA).
Without strong legislation and effective enforcement against these products, it will be difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of reducing premature deaths from NCDs by one-third, the organizations said in a joint statement.
At a roundtable discussion organized by PROGGA and ATMA at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday, experts called for strong and effective measures to address tobacco and nicotine products as part of the government's five-year strategic initiatives for achieving the SDGs.
The discussion was titled "Tobacco Control, NCDs and SDGs: Bangladesh's Progress and Way Forward".
Around 200,000 people die each year from tobacco-related diseases in Bangladesh, making tobacco use a major obstacle to achieving the health-related goal, it was noted during the discussion
"Tobacco also poses a significant barrier to achieving almost all other SDGs, from poverty eradication and food security to quality education, gender equality, environmental protection, climate action, and biodiversity conservation," PROGGA-ATMA said.
Though the government has recently amended the tobacco control law, the finalized version does not include e-cigarettes, vapes, nicotine pouches, and other emerging tobacco and nicotine products as part of its scope, the speakers said.
Legal measures are urgently needed to address the threats from these products, they said.
It also noted that some countries had already banned the products.
"Speakers also urged the government to formulate the necessary Rules under the amended law at the earliest and to implement Article 5.3 of the FCTC to protect tobacco control policies from interference by the tobacco industry," PROGGA-ATMA said.
In his speech as the chief guest, National Professor Dr. Mahbub Ullah, who also chaired the event, said: "Tobacco control goes beyond the health sector and is directly linked to the country's development, economy, and the protection of future generations. Translating political and institutional commitments to tobacco control into action would help accelerate progress toward achieving the SDGs."
Prof Dr Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, president of the Bangladesh Cancer Society, said: "The woes of cancer patients reveal the terrible consequences of tobacco use. Tobacco control measures must be strengthened to protect people from the poison of tobacco."
Executive Director of Channel 24 Zahirul Alam said: "Media can create mass awareness regarding tobacco control and thus expedite the proper implementation of the law."
"Media platforms should publish more pieces that highlight how the issue of tobacco control is linked with tackling NCDs and achieving SDGs," said Editor Reaz Ahmed of the Dhaka Tribune.
The event was also addressed by ATMA Convenor Mortuza Haider Liton and ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA, along with representatives of various tobacco control organizations. The keynote presentation was delivered by Hasan Shahriar, head of programs at PROGGA, and the session was moderated by Nadira Kiron, co-convenor of ATMA.
