Experts urge stronger Tobacco control law to achieve SDGs
Staff Reporter:
A roundtable meeting titled “Strengthening of Tobacco Control Law to Safeguard Public Health and Achieve SDGs: Bangladesh Perspective” was held on Thursday (April 24, 2025), jointly organized by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and ATMA (Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance) at the CIRDAP Auditorium, Dhaka.
Speakers at the event emphasized that tobacco-related deaths—claiming 442 lives daily in Bangladesh—pose a major barrier to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Target 3.4, which aims to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third. They warned that without immediate strengthening of the tobacco control law, Bangladesh’s public health and SDG commitments would continue to suffer.
Highlighting the SDGs’ call for the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), experts noted that Bangladesh, an early signatory of the treaty, must act swiftly to curb tobacco use. Tobacco consumption not only hampers progress towards Good Health and Well-being (SDG-3) but also undermines efforts to eradicate poverty (SDG-1) and achieve zero hunger (SDG-2), among other goals. Studies show tobacco users spend 5% of their income on tobacco products and 10% on treating related illnesses, pushing families deeper into poverty.
The environmental impact was also discussed, with concerns raised about deforestation for tobacco cultivation and pollution from tobacco product waste.
Rasheda K. Choudhury, former adviser to the Caretaker Government, stressed the need for a 100% smoke-free environment to protect non-smokers, especially women and children. Public health experts Dr. Abu Jamil Faisel and Dr. Mahfuz Kabir reinforced the call to tighten tobacco regulations, debunking the myth that tobacco control harms government revenue.
Dr. Syed Abdul Hamid emphasized that stronger laws would benefit both public health and the economy, while Dr. Abdun Noor Tushar urged prioritizing preventive measures over costly treatments. Dr. Anupam Hossain called for banning emerging products like e-cigarettes, which are increasingly popular among youth.
Zahirul Alam, Head of News at NTV, praised the role of the media in advancing tobacco control and encouraged ongoing advocacy.
The event also featured members of Pratyasha, an anti-drug youth club, who showed support for amending the tobacco law.
Currently, 35.3% of Bangladeshi adults use tobacco. In response, the Ministry of Health initiated a law amendment process in 2021, aiming to ban designated smoking areas, tobacco displays at points of sale, corporate social responsibility activities by tobacco companies, loose tobacco sales, and e-cigarettes.
Dr. Mahfuz Kabir, Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Member of Local Government Reform Commission said, “Tobacco companies often intimidate policymakers by saying that such action may cause a loss in revenue inflow. Such claim is utterly baseless, as shown in revenue earning data gathered by NBR. However, in the long run, we must curb our dependence on tobacco-related revenue and formulate plan on how to increase revenue earnings from other sources.”
Dr. Syed Abdul Hamid, Professor at the Institute of Health Economics of the University of Dhaka said, “The tobacco control law must be strengthened to safeguard public health. This will benefit both the public and the government.”
Dr. Abdun Noor Tushar, physician and media personality, said, “We must emphasize on preventive measures, rather than focusing on treatment of illnesses. Tobacco control should be put on the priority list of the government.”
Dr. Anupam Hossain, public health expert and Consultant of International Sports Development said, “We see a massive spike of e-cigarette use among the youth. The harm of e-cigarette is quite similar to that caused by traditional tobacco products. These emerging tobacco products must be banned through amendment of tobacco control law.”
Zahirul Alam, Head of News, NTV, said, “Mass media of Bangladesh is playing a meaningful role in ensuring tobacco control in Bangladesh. Such role must be continued to expedite the passage of tobacco control law amendment.”
Among the discussants of the event were Mortuza Haider Liton, Convener, ATMA; ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA; and representatives of other anti-tobacco organizations. During the event, members of the ‘Pratyasha’ anti drug’s club youth group raised placards in support of the amendment initiative of the tobacco control law. The event was hosted by Nadira Kiron, co-convener of ATMA whereas Hasan Shariar, Head of Tobacco Control, PROGGA presented key notes.
Notably, currently, 35.3 percent of all adults in Bangladesh use tobacco on a regular basis. To reduce the detrimental effect of tobacco in public health, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2021 took initiative to amend the tobacco control law. An advisory committee has already been formed to make necessary changes in the draft of the amendment. The preliminary draft includes elimination of designated smoking areas (DSAs), point-of-sale display of tobacco products. banning corporate social responsibility programs of tobacco companies, banning loose sale of tobacco products, and banning the production, import and marketing of e-cigarette, vaping and heated tobacco products.