Demand for Effective Taxation on Tobacco Products in the Upcoming Budget
Researchers, doctors, media professionals, and tobacco control experts have called for an increase in tobacco product prices and the imposition of effective taxes in the upcoming 2025–26 national budget to protect public health by reducing tobacco use.
They made this appeal during a press conference titled “Demand for Price Increase and Effective Taxation on Tobacco Products in the Upcoming 2025–26 Budget for the Protection of Public Health,” organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission at the National Press Club on May 13, 2025.
The speakers demanded that the lower and medium tiers of cigarettes be merged and that the minimum retail price of a 10-stick cigarette pack be set at BDT 90. They stated that since the price difference between the lower and medium tiers is minimal, users often switch...