Bangladesh anti-smoking groups push for higher tobacco taxes
Health and economic experts say cheaper cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products are driving addiction and preventable deaths
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Economists, physicians and public health specialists in Bangladesh are urging the government to overhaul the country’s tobacco tax system, arguing that higher prices and simplified taxation could reduce smoking rates, save hundreds of thousands of lives, and sharply increase state revenue.
The recommendations were presented during a public policy discussion in the Bangladeshi capital focused on the country’s proposed 2026-27 national budget. The event was organized by anti-tobacco advocacy groups PROGGA and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance, which have been campaigning for stronger tobacco control measures in one of South Asia’s largest tobacco markets.
Experts at the discussion said Bangladesh’s current multi-tier cigarette pricing structure keeps low-cost tobacco products widely accessible, especially for young people and low-income communities. They argued that the existing system allows smokers to shift to cheaper brands instead of quitting when taxes rise.
The group proposed reducing the number of cigarette price categories and introducing a fixed excise tax system, a model used in several countries to simplify tax collection and reduce loopholes exploited by tobacco companies.
Under the proposal, lower-priced and mid-range cigarette categories would be merged, with a retail price fixed at 100 Bangladeshi taka ($0.82) for a pack of 10 cigarettes. Higher-priced cigarettes would face steeper rates, with premium brands priced at 200 Bangladeshi taka ($1.64) or more per pack.
Public health researchers said the reforms could generate nearly 440 billion Bangladeshi taka ( $3.6 billion) in additional government revenue from cigarette sales alone while helping prevent an estimated 400,000 premature deaths over the long term.
Dr. Mahfuz Kabir, research director at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, said smokers who use low-cost and mid-range cigarettes account for nearly 90% of tobacco users in the country.
He said increasing prices in those categories could significantly reduce tobacco consumption among vulnerable populations, particularly lower-income households and younger consumers.
Rumana Huque, a public health professor at the University of Dhaka, said tobacco products in Bangladesh remain unusually affordable compared with many everyday consumer goods, making smoking financially accessible to large segments of the population.
The proposals also targeted bidi — a cheap hand-rolled cigarette commonly used across South Asia — as well as smokeless tobacco products widely consumed in Bangladesh.
Recommendations included higher retail prices and increased excise duties on products such as zarda, a flavored chewing tobacco mixture, and gul, a powdered tobacco product used orally.
Public health experts said tobacco-related illnesses kill nearly 200,000 people annually in Bangladesh, where more than one-third of people aged 15 and older use some form of tobacco.
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