Staff Correspondent

Members of the Women’s Forums Against Tobacco called upon the government to formulate implementation rules without delay following the recent amendment of the national tobacco control legislation.

The demand was made at a discussion titled ‘Tobacco Control Amended Act 2026: Expectations and Achievements’, organized by non-governmental organization Nari Maitree at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Sunday.

Participants expressed gratitude to the government for passing the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (Amended 2026) during the first session of Parliament on April 10, 2026.

Speakers highlighted that Bangladesh maintains the highest prevalence of tobacco use in South Asia at 35.3 percent, compared to 28.6 percent in India and 19.1 percent in Pakistan, with approximately 3.78 crore adults using tobacco according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2017. Referring to the Tobacco Atlas 2025, organizers noted that around 2 lakh people die annually in Bangladesh from tobacco-related illnesses, while hundreds of thousands suffer long-term disabilities.

According to research by the Institute of Health Economics at the University of Dhaka, government revenue from the tobacco sector totaled approximately Tk 41,000 crore in fiscal year 2024–25, whereas the annual economic and health-related cost of tobacco use stood at Tk 87,000 crore, exceeding sector revenues by more than double.

Addressing the gathering, Newaz Halima Arly, MP, stated that a multi-stakeholder committee has been formed to facilitate rule formulation and urged authorities to expedite the process on a priority basis.

Farida Yasmin, MP, emphasized incorporating Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) obligations into the draft rules, noting that key areas such as protecting public policy from tobacco industry influence, regulating contents and emissions, and supporting cessation require further policy reinforcement.

Helen Zerin Khan, MP, drew attention to existing regulatory gaps regarding e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and single-stick cigarette sales, urging strict provisions to shield youth from nicotine exposure.

Salina Sultana, MP, added that clear regulations must prevent tobacco companies from exploiting conditional provisions regarding designated smoking areas in public spaces.

The meeting was chaired by Nari Maitree Executive Director Shahin Akter Dolly and attended by members of the Mothers’ Forum, Teachers’ Forum, Women Journalists’ Forum, and Youth Forum Against Tobacco.