Published: 12:21 AM, 28 September 2026
Rules for tobacco control law must be formulated without delay: Speakers
Women's Forums Against Tobacco have called for the rules under the amended tobacco control law to be formulated without delay, saying the rules are essential to ensure effective implementation of the amended provisions.
The speakers made the remarks at a discussion meeting titled 'Tobacco Control Amended Act 2026: Expectations and Achievements', organized by NariMaitree at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, UNB reports.
The speakers also thanked the government for passing the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (Amended 2026) during the first session of Parliament.
The meeting highlighted that Bangladesh is one of the countries with a high prevalence of tobacco use. Among South Asian countries, Bangladesh has the highest tobacco-use prevalence at 35.3%, compared with 28.6% in India and 19.1% in Pakistan.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2017, approximately 37.8 million adults in Bangladesh currently use tobacco. According to the Tobacco Atlas 2025, around 200,000 people die every year in Bangladesh from diseases caused by tobacco use, while several hundred thousand more suffer disabilities.
Recent research by the Institute of Health Economics at the University of Dhaka showed tobacco-generated government revenue amounted to approximately Tk 410 billion in fiscal year 2024-25. In contrast, the annual economic cost of tobacco use including deaths, other health-related losses and environmental damage was approximately Tk 870 billion. In other words, the economic losses caused by tobacco use are more than twice the revenue generated from the tobacco sector.
Against this backdrop, the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (Amended 2026) was passed on April 10, 2026. The passage of the amended law is certainly an important step toward tobacco control. However, the next step formulating the rules to implement the law also requires the same level of importance and priority.
Newaz Halima Arly MP said, "The present government is committed to protecting public health from the harmful effects of tobacco. By enacting the amended tobacco control law, the government has established the necessary policy foundation."
Farida Yasmin, MP, said, "Bangladesh signed the WHO FCTC in 2003, which is the world's first international public health treaty on tobacco control. However, all the key provisions of the FCTC have not yet been reflected in the amended tobacco control law. In particular, important areas such as protecting public health policies from the influence of the tobacco industry, regulating the contents and emissions of tobacco products, raising public awareness, and supporting tobacco cessation have not been adequately reflected in the amended law."
Helen Zerin Khan, MP, said, "Some important limitations still remain in the amended tobacco control law. Issues such as regulating emerging nicotine and tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, as well as controlling the sale of single cigarette sticks and loose tobacco products, have not been adequately addressed in the law."
Salina Sultana, MP, said, "The amended law allows designated smoking areas to be maintained in public places and public transport under certain conditions. The rules must contain clear and effective provisions to ensure that tobacco companies cannot exploit this provision through various tactics."
The meeting was chaired by ShahinAkter Dolly, Executive Director of NariMaitree. Members of the Mothers' Forum Against Tobacco, Teachers' Forum Against Tobacco, Women Journalists' Forum Against Tobacco, and Youth Forum Against Tobacco were also present. They unanimously called for the formulation of appropriate rules without delay to ensure effective implementation of the amended law and strengthen tobacco control in Bangladesh.
