Doctors and public health experts have called for an increase in the effective price of tobacco products in the upcoming 2026-27 national budget to reduce the rate of non-communicable diseases and tobacco-related deaths in the country. They believe that effective tax and price increases will reduce smoking and significantly increase government revenue.
These demands were raised at a press conference titled "Increasing the Effective Price of Tobacco Products to Reduce the Risk of Non-Communicable Diseases: Doctors' Budget Proposals 2026-27," organized by the United Forum Against Tobacco and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club on Monday, May 11.
The press conference was chaired by Brigadier General (Ret.) Professor Md. Yunusur Rahman, Director of the National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute. Public health expert Dr. Mushtaq Hussain, Professor Safiun Nahin Shimul of the Institute of Health Economics at Dhaka University, and Dr. Muhammad Sakhawat Hossain, Assistant Professor of the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital, were present as discussants. The keynote paper was presented by Dr. Aruna Sarkar, Coordinator of the Tobacco Control Program.
The press conference revealed that non-communicable diseases account for approximately 71% of total deaths in Bangladesh each year, and tobacco-related causes account for about 14% of deaths. Currently, approximately 37.8 million adults in the country use tobacco. Nearly 200,000 people die prematurely each year from tobacco-related diseases. Furthermore, health and environmental damage caused by tobacco use amounts to approximately 87,000 crore taka annually, which is more than double the revenue earned by the government from the tobacco sector.
The doctors proposed that the retail price of a 10-stick pack of lower and middle-tier cigarettes should be set at 100 taka. They also demanded a specific tax of 4 taka per pack and that the prices of high and premium-tier cigarettes be set at 150 and 200 taka, respectively.
Professor Safiun Nahin Shimul stated that the current tobacco tax structure in the country is highly complex and ineffective in protecting public health.
The four-tiered pricing system allows smokers to easily switch to cheaper levels, hindering tobacco use reduction. The small price difference between the lower and middle tiers makes it particularly difficult to discourage smoking among young people and those with low incomes.
Public health expert Dr. Mushtaq Hossain states that implementing the proposed tax and price reforms could reduce tobacco use and increase government revenue by over 850 billion Taka, approximately 440 billion Taka more than the previous fiscal year. This additional revenue could be used to reform the health sector and combat non-communicable diseases.
Professor Md. Yunusur Rahman, in his presidential address, said that effective taxation on tobacco products is the most effective method of tobacco control worldwide. Increasing prices could encourage nearly 500,000 adults to quit smoking, potentially preventing the premature deaths of approximately 185,408 adults and 185,335 young people in the long term.
DB Tech/JNO/EKE
