To reduce tobacco-related diseases and deaths, more than one hundred physicians of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association (BADAS) have urged urgent amendment of the Tobacco Control Law. BADAS President and National Professor AK Azad Khan, BIRDEM Director General Professor Mirza Mahbubul Hasan, and Professor Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury, along with specialist doctors of BIRDEM Hospital, submitted a letter to the Health, Finance, and Commerce Advisors.
Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury noted that tobacco-related illnesses are rapidly increasing, creating heavy pressure on hospitals and families. With 70% of healthcare costs borne by patients, rising disease burden and premature deaths threaten national development. He emphasized that all ministries must act together on tobacco control to protect public health.
According to the letter sent by the BADAS, 67% of deaths in Bangladesh are caused by NCDs, with tobacco as a major driver. About 37.8 million people (35% of the population) use tobacco, leading to over 161,000 deaths annually, while 26,000 non-smokers—mostly women and children—die from secondhand smoke. The treatment cost of tobacco-related diseases exceeds government revenue by BDT 8,000 core, creating a severe health and economic crisis.
The letter highlighted the 35-ministry joint declaration on NCD prevention as a milestone but stressed that stronger laws are essential to protect youth, stop tobacco industry propaganda, and align with the Chief Adviser’s vision for a healthy generation. It called on the Finance and Commerce Ministries to put public health above tobacco revenue.
The physicians made the following key recommendations:
- Ensure 100% smoke-free public places and public transport.
- Ban the sale of tobacco products within 100 meters of educational institutions and healthcare centers.
- Prohibit single-stick sales of bidi and cigarettes to reduce tobacco addiction among children, adolescents, youth, and the poor.
- Completely ban e-cigarettes, vapes, and emerging harmful tobacco products in Bangladesh.
- Expand the coverage of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging, containers, and cartons.
It is worth mentioning that BADAS and MANAS are working jointly on the basis of a signed agreement to strengthen tobacco control in Bangladesh.