The Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 represents one of the most significant public health reforms in the country’s history.
Its fate now rests with the next Parliament -- offering an early and defining opportunity for lawmakers to demonstrate leadership, integrity, and a firm commitment to evidence-based governance.
This is not a partisan issue. It is a national public health imperative.
Tobacco use remains alarmingly prevalent in Bangladesh. More than 35% of adults -- around 37.8 million people -- use tobacco in smoked or smokeless forms. Each year, tobacco-related diseases claim an estimated 200,000 lives.
The economic burden is equally severe: Health care costs, productivity losses, and environmental damage together amount to nearly Tk870 billion annually -- more than double the revenue generated by the tobacco sector.
Against this backdrop, strengthening tobacco control is not a policy choice but an urgent necessity.
The 2025 amendment updates Bangladesh’s tobacco control framework to address evolving industry tactics and emerging products.
It brings electronic nicotine delivery systems, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches, and similar products firmly under regulatory oversight; strengthens smoke-free public spaces; expands bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship -- particularly across digital platforms; and increases penalties for violations.
These measures are grounded in scientific evidence and aligned with Bangladesh’s obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), as well as the Sustainable Development Goals, including the commitment to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases.
This reform did not emerge overnight. Initiated in 2021, the amendment went through extensive public consultations, technical reviews, and inter-ministerial scrutiny.
Approved in December 2025 under the interim government and subsequently gazetted, the ordinance reflects years of advocacy and policy engagement aimed at safeguarding public health -- especially the health of children and young people.
Importantly, the ordinance closes long-standing regulatory loopholes that the tobacco industry has repeatedly exploited. By removing designated smoking areas, it ensures genuinely smoke-free public places.
By extending comprehensive bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship across both traditional and digital media, it responds directly to the industry’s shifting marketing strategies.
And by rejecting the misleading narrative of “reduced-harm” products, it prevents addictive substances from being repackaged and promoted to a new generation.
Yet this landmark public health achievement now faces its most critical test.
As an ordinance, the amendment must be placed before Parliament and approved within the constitutionally mandated timeframe after the first parliamentary session begins.
With national elections expected in February 2026, responsibility will rest squarely with the incoming Parliament. Any delay risks the ordinance lapsing -- undoing years of progress and weakening protections that are urgently needed.
History offers a clear warning. After the 2013 amendment to the tobacco control law, tobacco companies used litigation and delay tactics to obstruct implementation, most notably in the case of pictorial health warnings.
The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025 once again ranks Bangladesh among the countries most affected by industry interference, highlighting the continued influence of both local and multinational tobacco companies during the recent amendment process.
In this context, hesitation, dilution, or reopening of settled provisions would serve only commercial interests -- at the direct expense of public health.
Parliament must therefore act decisively and send an unambiguous message: The health of the people comes before industry pressure.
Sustained engagement from the administration, civil society, and the media will be essential -- both before and after the election -- to keep this issue firmly on the parliamentary agenda. But ultimately, the responsibility lies with lawmakers.
Bangladesh has earned international recognition for its leadership in tobacco control. By swiftly enacting the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 and transforming this ordinance into law, the next Parliament can uphold that legacy -- and, more importantly, protect lives, prevent avoidable deaths, shield non-smokers, and secure a healthier future for generations to come.
Zahirul Alam is Executive Director, Channel 24. Email: infozahirulalam@gmail.com.