Call for Effective Tobacco Tax and Price Increase in the Upcoming Budget
The Economic Reporters’ Forum has called for effective taxation and price increases on Tobacco products in the upcoming national budget for fiscal year 2026–27 to protect public health. The demand was made at a journalists’ workshop titled “The Need for Effective Tax and Price Increase on Tobacco Products in the Upcoming FY2026–27 Budget for Protecting Public Health,” jointly organised by Development Organisation of the Rural Poor-DORP and the Economic Reporters’ Forum at the ERF office on Monday, 27 April 2026.
The chief guest at the workshop was Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, State Minister for Planning. He said the easy availability of tobacco products in Bangladesh is alarmingly increasing smoking tendencies among young people and low-income communities, posing a serious threat to public h...