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The Youth Forum Against Tobacco on Tuesday called on the government to increase taxes and prices of all tobacco products in the upcoming national budget for 2025–26 to protect public health and save lives.
They organised a human chain in front of the National Press Club with the banner "To Protect Public Health: Demand for Effective Taxation and Price Increases on Tobacco Products in the 2025–26 Budget."
The event saw participation from forum members as well as students from various universities.
They said the easy availability and low prices of tobacco products are putting the nation's health at serious risk.
They urged the government to take strong action by increasing tobacco prices and adopting stricter tobacco control policies.
Nasrin Akter, Project Coordinator of Nari Maitree, was also present at the human chain.
She said, “The current four-tier pricing structure for cigarettes (low, medium, high, and premium) has made the tobacco taxation and pricing measures ineffective. Particularly, the prices of low and medium-tier cigarettes are very close, allowing consumers to easily switch between tiers. If the low and medium tiers are merged and prices increased in the upcoming 2025–26 budget, it would discourage smoking among low-income groups and the youth.”
She also highlighted specific proposals regarding tax and price increases in the upcoming budget.
These proposals include: merging the low and medium tiers and setting the retail price of 10-stick cigarettes at Tk 90; keeping the high tier price unchanged at Tk 140; setting the premium tier price at Tk 190; and maintaining a 67 per cent supplementary duty on the retail price of cigarettes, along with a 15 per cent value-added tax (VAT) and a 1.0 per cent health development surcharge.
The human chain also called for setting the retail price of 25-stick non-filtered bidis at Tk 25, and 20-stick filtered bidis at Tk 20, with a 45 per cent supplementary duty. Furthermore, it was proposed that the retail price for 10 grams of jorda be fixed at Tk 55 and for 10 grams of gul at Tk 30, with a 60 per cent supplementary duty imposed
Besides, a 15 per cent VAT and a 1.0 per cent health development surcharge should be retained on all tobacco products.
Ashrafia Jannat, Convener of the Youth Forum Against Tobacco, said, “If these proposals are implemented, it could help prevent over 1.7 million premature deaths, including around 900,000 youth. At the same time, it could add over BDT 20,000 crore in extra revenue for the country.”
The Youth Forum Against Tobacco hopes the government will take their message seriously and include effective tobacco tax measures in the upcoming budget to build a healthier and tobacco-free Bangladesh.