Tobacco Control Act to be passed in Parliament

The government plans to pass the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use Control (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 as a law in the upcoming session of Parliament, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said on Monday.

He made the announcement while speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable discussion titled “Tobacco Control for Safeguarding Public Health: Government Achievements, Commitments and Public Expectations.”

The event was organized by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) at the seminar room of the National Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka.

According to the organizers, tobacco use in Bangladesh has reached an alarming level. Around 35.3pc of adults aged 15 and above use tobacco, and about 548 people die every day due to tobacco-related diseases.

In addition, the country loses nearly BDT 87,000 crore every year because of tobacco use and related health problems.

Speakers at the event warned that if the amendment ordinance is not passed into law during the first parliamentary session, the health and economic damage caused by tobacco will continue to increase.

The minister said the government is committed to fulfilling its election pledge to control tobacco-related diseases. “To fulfill the election commitment, the Tobacco Control Ordinance will be passed as an Act in the upcoming session of Parliament,” he said.

He also added that the Ministry of Information will support the implementation of the law once it is enacted.
Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), speakers said tobacco use is responsible for many non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer, which account for about 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh.

Editor of The Daily Jugantor, Abdul Hye Sikder, said there is no alternative to strong tobacco control laws to deal with the growing number of non-communicable diseases. He urged the government to quickly pass the amendment to meet public expectations.

Zahirul Alam, Executive Director of Channel 24, said the mass media has played an important role in promoting the amendment of the tobacco control law and should continue this effort.

Sohrab Hasan, Editor of the online news portal Chaarcha, said the government should pass the ordinance without changes to ensure better protection of public health.

During the event, Prof Dr Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, President of the Bangladesh Cancer Society (BCS), shared experiences of people suffering from tobacco-related cancer. He said the painful stories of victims show why stronger tobacco control measures are necessary.

Other speakers included Mortuza Haider Liton, Convenor of ATMA, and ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA, along with representatives of several anti-tobacco organizations. The event was moderated by Nadira Kiron, Co-convener of ATMA, while Hasan Shahriar, Head of Programs at PROGGA, presented the main discussion points.

The proposed ordinance includes several strict measures to reduce tobacco use. It bans the production, import, marketing and use of e-cigarettes, vaping devices and heated tobacco products. It also removes designated smoking areas in public places and public transport to protect people from secondhand smoke, especially women and children.

The ordinance further prohibits the sale of tobacco products within 100 meters of educational institutions, hospitals and playgrounds. It also introduces a complete ban on the display, advertisement and promotion of tobacco products and sponsorship by tobacco companies.