Call to pass Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025 in the next parliament
Staff Reporter
Rights group DORP on Wednesday called for the immediate passage of the amended Smoking and Tobacco Products (Control) Ordinance, 2025 in the upcoming 13th National Parliament, warning that delays would prolong preventable disease, deaths, and economic losses linked to tobacco use.
The demand came at a roundtable titled “Impact of the Smoking and Tobacco Products (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 and the Way Forward”, held at the CIRDAP Auditorium in the capital.
Speaking as chief guest, Dr. Hafiz Ahmed Chowdhury, Secretary of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, said tobacco-related harm extends far beyond individual health, affecting families, society, and the national economy. Citing The Tobacco Atlas 2025, he noted that nearly 200,000 people die prematurely each year in Bangladesh due to tobacco-related diseases. While the government has already promulgated the amended ordinance in the interest of public health, he stressed that its long-term effectiveness depends on formal parliamentary approval.
As special guest, Sheikh Momena Moni, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health, outlined the economic burden of tobacco. Referring to a recent study, she said the total cost of tobacco use and production in 2024 stood at about BDT 87,000 crore, with environmental damage accounting for roughly 16 percent of that figure. In contrast, government revenue from tobacco products in the same year was around BDT 40,000 crore, less than half of the estimated cost. She argued that strict enforcement of the amended ordinance is critical to reducing future public health expenditure.
Public health experts at the discussion said they were hopeful about the ordinance’s passage, emphasizing that tobacco use remains a leading cause of heart attacks and other fatal cardiovascular diseases. Stronger legislation, they said, would play a key role in protecting future generations from long-term health risks.
Other speakers said civil society groups would continue advocacy efforts to ensure the ordinance is tabled and passed as a bill in Parliament. They urged the Ministry of Law to facilitate the legislative process and called on political parties to include tobacco control as a priority in their election manifestos and campaign messages.
The event was attended by Professor Dr. Parimal Chandra Mallik, President of the Bangladesh Dental Society; Dr. Sakhawat Hossain Sayantha, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at Bangladesh Medical University; Md. Suratuzzaman, Director of the Bangladesh Retired Government Employees Welfare Association; Wahida Yasmin, Adviser to Lighthouse Organization; former secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad; Md. Tasnim Laskar of the Bangladesh Development Party; Mohammad Nurul Amin, Chairperson of DORP; AHM Noman, Chief Executive; and Mohammad Zobair Hasan, Deputy Executive Director, among others.