“Rules are essential to make the provisions of any law effective. Therefore, following the amendment of the tobacco control law, it is imperative that the rules be formulated at the earliest possible time,” said members of the Women’s Forums Against Tobacco.
The speakers made the remarks at a discussion meeting titled ‘Tobacco Control Amended Act 2026: Expectations and Achievements’, organized by Nari Maitree at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Sunday (September 27).
The speakers also thanked the government for passing the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (Amended 2026) during the first session of Parliament.
The meeting highlighted that Bangladesh is one of the countries with a high prevalence of tobacco use.
Among South Asian countries, Bangladesh has the highest tobacco-use prevalence at 35.3%, compared with 28.6% in India and 19.1% in Pakistan.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2017, approximately 37.8 million adults in Bangladesh currently use tobacco.
According to the Tobacco Atlas 2025, around 200,000 people die every year in Bangladesh from diseases caused by tobacco use, while several hundred thousand more suffer disabilities.
According to recent research by the Institute of Health Economics at the University of Dhaka, tobacco-generated government revenue amounted to approximately Tk41,000 crore in FY25.
In contrast, the annual economic cost of tobacco use including deaths, other health-related losses and environmental damage was approximately Tk87,000 crore.
In other words, the economic losses caused by tobacco use are more than twice the revenue generated from the tobacco sector.
Against this backdrop, the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (Amended 2026) was passed on April 10, 2026.
The passage of the amended law is certainly an important step toward tobacco control.
However, the next step formulating the rules to implement the law also requires the same level of importance and priority.
Newaz Halima Arly, MP, said: “The present government is committed to protecting public health from the harmful effects of tobacco. By enacting the amended tobacco control law, the government has established the necessary policy foundation. Now, to take this initiative forward, the rules need to be formulated without delay. A committee comprising various stakeholders has already been formed to facilitate the formulation of the rules. I urge the relevant authorities to expedite the process of formulating the rules on a priority basis.”
Farida Yasmin, MP, said: “Bangladesh signed the WHO FCTC in 2003, which is the world’s first international public health treaty on tobacco control. However, all the key provisions of the FCTC have not yet been reflected in the amended tobacco control law. In particular, important areas such as protecting public health policies from the influence of the tobacco industry, regulating the contents and emissions of tobacco products, raising public awareness, and supporting tobacco cessation have not been adequately reflected in the amended law. Therefore, while formulating the rules, it is essential to take into account the obligations under the FCTC and its implementation guidelines and further strengthen the country’s tobacco control framework.”
Helen Zerin Khan, MP, said: “Some important limitations still remain in the amended tobacco control law. Issues such as regulating emerging nicotine and tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, as well as controlling the sale of single cigarette sticks and loose tobacco products, have not been adequately addressed in the law. These products, in particular, are increasing the risk of tobacco and nicotine use among young people. Similarly, the sale of single cigarette sticks makes tobacco products easily accessible to young people. Therefore, these limitations need to be given due consideration while formulating the rules, and effective measures must be ensured to protect public health.”
Salina Sultana, MP, said: “The amended law allows designated smoking areas to be maintained in public places and public transport under certain conditions. The rules must contain clear and effective provisions to ensure that tobacco companies cannot exploit this provision through various tactics.”
The meeting was chaired by Shahin Akter Dolly, executive director of Nari Maitree.
Members of the Mothers’ Forum Against Tobacco, Teachers’ Forum Against Tobacco, Women Journalists’ Forum Against Tobacco, and Youth Forum Against Tobacco were also present.
They unanimously called for the formulation of appropriate rules without delay to ensure effective implementation of the amended law and strengthen tobacco control in Bangladesh.
