Tobacco and nicotine products pose a major obstacle to Bangladesh’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the target of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), experts said at a roundtable in Dhaka on Tuesday.
They called for stronger legislation, effective enforcement, urgent formulation of rules under the amended tobacco control law and measures to prevent interference by the tobacco industry in policymaking.
The remarks came at a roundtable titled “Tobacco Control, NCDs and SDGs: Bangladesh’s Progress and Way Forward,” organised by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka.
Around 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh are attributed to NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancer, with tobacco and nicotine use identified as a major contributing factor. Experts warned that without stronger tobacco control measures, achieving the SDG target of reducing premature NCD deaths by one-third would remain difficult.
According to speakers, nearly 200,000 people die every year in Bangladesh from tobacco-related diseases. They said the impact of tobacco extends beyond SDG 3, which focuses on health, and creates barriers to achieving goals related to poverty reduction, food security, quality education, gender equality, environmental protection, climate action and biodiversity conservation.
Speakers welcomed the government’s recent amendment to the tobacco control law but expressed concern that e-cigarettes, vapes, nicotine pouches and other emerging tobacco and nicotine products remain outside the scope of the finalized law.
They urged the government to introduce appropriate legal measures to regulate these products, citing their potential threats to public health. They also called for the necessary rules under the amended law to be formulated without delay.
The speakers further stressed the need to implement Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to protect tobacco control policies from interference by the tobacco industry.
National Professor Dr Mahbub Ullah, who chaired the event and attended as the chief guest, said tobacco control was not merely a health-sector issue but was directly linked to Bangladesh’s development, economy and the protection of future generations.
He said: “Translating political and institutional commitments to tobacco control into action would help accelerate progress toward achieving the SDGs.”
Professor Dr Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, president of the Bangladesh Cancer Society, said the suffering of cancer patients demonstrated the severe consequences of tobacco use.
He added: “Tobacco control measures must be strengthened to protect people from the poison of tobacco.”
Zahirul Alam, executive director of Channel24, emphasised the role of the media in tobacco control.
“The media can create mass awareness regarding tobacco control and thus expedite the proper implementation of the law,” he said.
Reaz Ahmad, editor of Dhaka Tribune, called for greater media attention to the links between tobacco control, NCD prevention and the SDGs.
He said: “Media platforms should publish more pieces that highlight how the issue of tobacco control is linked with tackling NCDs and achieving SDGs.”
ATMA Convener Mortuza Haider Liton and ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA, also addressed the event, along with representatives of various tobacco control organisations.
Hasan Shahriar, head of programs at PROGGA, delivered the keynote presentation, while ATMA Co-Convener Nadira Kiron moderated the session.