Bangladesh Health Reporters Forum and National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh have called for amending the existing Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (amended in 2013) to align it with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to protect public health.

They made the call at a meeting with Prof Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the health and family welfare adviser, read a press release.

Md Rashed Rabbi, president of Bangladesh Health Reporters Forum, presented a summary of a seminar titled "Amending Tobacco Control Laws and Increasing Tobacco Taxes for Public Health Protection: The Role of Media," which took place on 14 November, as well as a letter of demands from journalists.

Heart Foundation highlighted that Bangladesh has the highest tobacco use rate (35.3%) among South Asian countries, with about 40 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke in public places and transport (GATS 2017). According to WHO, tobacco kills approximately 1,61,000 premature deaths annually in Bangladesh. Stronger tobacco control laws are essential to prevent these deaths.

To align the existing law with FCTC, amendments to six provisions have been proposed. They are – eliminating designated smoking areas (DSA) in public places and transport; banning the display of tobacco products at points of sale; completely prohibiting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities by tobacco companies; banning emerging tobacco products, including e-cigarettes; increasing the size of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging from 50% to 90%; and banning the sale of single cigarette sticks, unwrapped smokeless tobacco, and unpackaged products.

To support the proposed amendments, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has already initiated steps to revise the existing Tobacco Control Act. However, tobacco companies are spreading misinformation, claiming that these amendments will lead to reduced government revenue and job losses, thereby creating obstacles to the amendment process.

Historical data refute these claims, showing that government revenue from cigarettes increased significantly after the law’s enactment in 2005 and its amendment in 2013.

After the law's passage in 2005, cigarette tax revenue grew by 17.97% and 37.52% in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 fiscal years, respectively. Similarly, following the 2013 amendment, revenue increased by 25.51% and 46.52% in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 fiscal years, respectively. Thus, to ensure the protection of non-smokers and shield the younger generation from the harmful effects of tobacco, it is imperative to pass the proposed law promptly.

During the meeting, National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh President Prof Khondker Abdul Awal thanked Prof Sayedur Rahman and urged necessary actions for the law's amendment, while the latter assured that all necessary steps would be taken with a collective effort to amend the law for public health protection.

Md Mostafizur Rahman, lead policy adviser, and Md Ataur Rahman, advocacy manager of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK); Prof Sohel Reza Choudhury, head of the Epidemiology and Research at National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute; Naimul Azam Khan, adviser to the tobacco control programme; Aruna Sarkar, programme coordinator; and Abu Jafor, communication officer were present at the meeting.