Demand for Effective Taxation on Tobacco Products in the Upcoming Budget Archives

To safeguard public health, the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) has called for the implementation of a strong tax policy, including effective taxation and price increases on tobacco products in the upcoming 2026–27 national budget. This demand was raised during a discussion meeting titled “The Importance of Effective Tobacco Taxation in the Upcoming 2026–27 National Budget,” jointly organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission and BSRF at the CIRDAP auditorium on Thursday (30 April 2026). The chief guest at the event, Additional Secretary of the Health Services Division (World Health Wing), Sheikh Momina Moni, stated that the easy availability of tobacco products in Bangladesh is significantly increasing smoking rates among youth and low-income populations, posing a serious threat t...

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...