Low-tier cigarette prices raised again

The government has raised the retail price of low-tier cigarettes for the second time in just about two and a half months, putting further pressure on the price of the cheapest cigarettes available in the market.

The minimum retail price for 10 sticks of lowest-priced cigarette has been raised by Tk3 to Tk65, said the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in a notification.

The notification was signed by NBR Acting Chairman Ahsan Habib on Wednesday and publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Earlier, in the national budget effective from 1 July, the price was increased by Tk2 to Tk62.

Cigarettes in Bangladesh are classified into four price tiers—low, medium, high and premium—with the low tier generally covering the cheapest products available in the market.

The latest increase applies only to the low-tier segment, while prices in the other three tiers remain unchanged.

In the FY2026-27 national budget, the government had raised cigarette prices across all four tiers. The price of 10 sticks of medium-tier price rose from Tk80 to Tk92.

The price of high-tier cigarettes was raised from Tk140 to Tk160, while the price of premium or ultra-high-tier cigarettes increased from Tk185 to Tk210 or more.

The latest increase in the low-tier cigarette price comes after the Cabinet recently approved a proposal to raise its minimum retail price.