
Young doctors have demanded that the price of each cigarette stick be set at a minimum of BDT 9 to make it unaffordable for children, adolescents, and young people. Medical students from various colleges across the country stated that if their demand is implemented, it will not only reduce smoking but also generate 43% more revenue compared to the last fiscal year.
The demand was raised at a workshop titled “Young Physicians Leading the Fight Against Tobacco: Safeguarding Public”, organized by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh on Saturday (March 15, 2025).
Representatives from the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh highlighted that tobacco products remain cheap compared to essential commodities in Bangladesh. As a result, children, adolescents, and young people can easily become addicted to this harmful substance. To address this, effective taxation and price hikes on tobacco products are necessary.
The workshop further emphasized that the current four-tier cigarette pricing system (low, medium, high, and premium) is ineffective in implementing tobacco tax and price measures properly. To counter this, young doctors proposed merging the low and medium tiers in the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year budget and setting the retail price of a 10-stick cigarette pack at BDT 90. They argued that this measure would discourage young people from smoking. Additionally, they urged that the minimum price of a bidi stick be raised to BDT 1. If implemented, this proposal could not only reduce smoking but also generate an additional BDT 20,000 crore in revenue and potentially prevent the premature deaths of over 1.7 million people, including approximately 900,000 young individuals in the long run.
At the workshop, Abdul Motalib Shanto, President of Sandhani’s Central Committee, stated, “As doctors, we must raise awareness about the harms of tobacco among the public. We should also use social media platforms to launch strong campaigns against tobacco products. The price of tobacco products must be significantly increased to keep them out of reach of children and young people.”
The workshop was attended by medical students from various colleges across the country. They stressed that doctors must take an active role in reducing tobacco consumption in Bangladesh by educating patients about its harmful effects. They also called for amendments to existing tobacco control laws and higher taxes and price increases on tobacco products to curb their use.
Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of the Epidemiology & Research Department at the National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute; Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury, Advisor to the Tobacco Control Program and Divisional Commissioner of Dhaka; Naimul Azam Khan, Consultant for the Tobacco Control Program; Dr. Aruna Sarkar, Coordinator; and Abu Jafor, Communications Officer were present at the event.