Experts demand higher tobacco prices in next budget to reduce health risks

Public health experts and physicians have urged the government to increase tobacco product prices effectively in the upcoming FY2026–27 national budget to reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh.

According to them, around 71% of annual deaths in Bangladesh are caused by non-communicable diseases, while tobacco use is responsible for nearly 14% of NCD-related deaths in the country, said a press release.

The demand was raised at a press conference titled “Effective Tobacco Price Increase to Reduce the Risk of Non-Communicable Diseases: Physicians’ Budget Proposals for FY2026–27”, organised by United Forum Against Tobacco and National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh at National Press Club on Monday.

The programme was chaired by Brig Gen (retd) Prof Md Yunusur Rahman, director of National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute. Among others, public health expert Dr Mushtaq Hossain, Prof Safiun Nahin Shimul of the Institute of Health Economics at the University of Dhaka, and Dr Muhammad Sakhawat Hossain, assistant professor at the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital, spoke at the event.

Read More

Measles outbreak: Suspected cases hit 50,500, deaths reach 350

Presenting the keynote paper, Dr Aruna Sarkar, coordinator of the Tobacco Control Program, said tobacco use remains one of the leading risk factors for cancer, heart disease, stroke, and chronic respiratory diseases in Bangladesh.

She noted that nearly 37.8 million adults in Bangladesh currently use tobacco products and around 200,000 people die every year from tobacco-related diseases. The annual economic loss caused by tobacco-related health and environmental damage is estimated at nearly Tk87,000 crore, which is more than double the revenue earned from the tobacco sector.

At the press conference, physicians proposed merging the low- and medium-tier cigarette categories and fixing the retail price of a 10-stick cigarette pack at Tk100. They also proposed imposing a specific supplementary duty of Tk4 per pack. In addition, they recommended increasing the retail prices of high-tier and premium-tier cigarette packs to Tk150 and Tk200 respectively.

Prof Safiun said the existing tobacco tax structure in Bangladesh is complex and ineffective from a public health perspective. He explained that the four-tier cigarette pricing system allows smokers to switch to cheaper brands instead of quitting, limiting the effectiveness of tax measures.

He also said the small price difference between low- and medium-tier cigarettes makes tobacco products more affordable for young people and low-income groups.

Dr Mushtaq said implementing the proposed tax and price measures could both reduce tobacco consumption and generate over Tk85,000 crore in revenue, which would be around Tk44,000 crore higher than the previous fiscal year.

He added that the additional revenue could be used to strengthen the healthcare system, improve primary healthcare services, and address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

Yunusur Rahman said increasing tobacco prices through effective taxation is globally recognised as one of the most effective tobacco control measures.

He said the proposed measures could encourage nearly 500,000 adults to quit smoking and help prevent premature deaths helped prevent the premature deaths of approximately 185,408 adults and 185,335 youths.

Journalists from different media outlets and representatives of anti-tobacco organisations attended the press conference.