Tax increase, proper implementation of law is needed to keep youth away from cigarettes: Hossain Zillur Rahman

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Hossain Zillur Rahman, advisor to the former caretaker government, believes that it will be possible to keep the young generation of the country away from cigarettes and tobacco products through increasing taxes, proper implementation of laws and public health awareness. For this, he demanded to increase the tax on tobacco products including cigarettes in the upcoming national budget.

Hossain Zillur Rahman made this demand in a press conference organized at Jahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club of the capital on Sunday. The press conference was organized by the Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC). Hossain Zillur Rahman is the chairman of this PPRC.

Hossain Zillur Rahman said, if the tax is increased, the issue of tobacco control will go further. Raising taxes will go a long way in keeping the younger generation away from cigarettes. Raising taxes will increase government revenue, which can be spent on public health. A well-thought-out solution to the ‘public health versus revenue’ debate is possible here.

Hossain Zillur Rahman thinks that it will not be enough to increase the tax to prevent the use of tobacco products. He said, at the same time, the law should be properly implemented. The 2025 ordinance banned e-cigarettes and vaping. But in 2026, when the law was passed in the parliament, this matter was dropped. No explanation was given as to why it was omitted. It turned out to be a step backwards.

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In the press conference, Professor Shafiun Nahin Shimul of the Institute of Health Economics of Dhaka University presented the ‘Tobacco Tax Proposal’ for the budget of the fiscal year 2026-27. Currently, the price of 10-pack of cigarettes is Rs 60 and Rs 80, but the budget proposes to increase the price to Rs 100. In the press conference, it was proposed to increase the price of the packet of 140 taka to 150 taka, and the price of the packet of 125 taka to 200 taka.

Shafiun Nahin said several results can be expected if the proposal is implemented. And that’s — nearly 500,000 adults will be encouraged to quit smoking. More than 372,000 youth will be discouraged from taking up smoking. In the long run, 1 lakh 85 thousand 408 adults and 1 lakh 85 thousand 335 young people will be prevented from dying prematurely. The rate of tobacco use will decrease by about 0.5 percent. More than 85 thousand crores of ‘tobacco tax’ will be available. That is, there will be an additional revenue of 44 thousand crores compared to the previous financial year.

Chairman of Clinical Oncology Department of Bangladesh Medical University Prof. Sayed also spoke at the press conference. Akram Hussain. He said that in Bangladesh, about two lakh people die prematurely due to diseases related to tobacco use. Apart from that, tobacco use is one of the main causes of most cancers.