The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a special request to the media outlets to ensure strict compliance with the “Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Amendment Act, 2026”.
According to the amended act, all direct and indirect tobacco advertising, promotion, and publicity are completely banned. The legislation explicitly prohibits these activities across print media, electronic media, the internet, social media, OTT platforms, apps, cinema, dramas, and documentaries, said the ministry in a release to the media for compliance with these provisions.
With the aim of strengthening the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005, the law was amended and enacted as the "Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2026," which was passed in Parliament on April 10 of this year and came into effect immediately.
According to section 5, clause (c) of the act, no advertisement related to tobacco or tobacco products may be broadcast in any cinema hall, print and electronic media, internet media, websites, web pages, electronic mail, or social media.
According to section 5, clause (e) of the act, scenes depicting the use of tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems, as well as the packaging of tobacco products, in any film, drama, or documentary produced in or available and distributed in Bangladesh, or produced abroad, shall not be broadcast, displayed, or described on television, radio, the internet, OTT (Over The Top) platforms, apps, stage performances, or any other mass media, said the ministry press release.
Furthermore, to ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Amendment Act, 2026, the National Tobacco Control Cell has made a special appeal to all relevant mass media, including all government and private television channels, radio, newspapers, and online news portals, to refrain from broadcasting any kind of tobacco product advertisement and to all cinema-related authorities and all concerned parties to refrain from including any scenes depicting tobacco product use.
