Members of the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) on Tuesday highlighted the urgent need for stronger tobacco tax measures and a stringent tobacco control law to address the 161,000 annual deaths caused by tobacco use in Bangladesh.

The meeting was held at BMA Bhaban in the capital,

Speakers emphasized that increasing tobacco taxes is globally recognized as an effective strategy to reduce tobacco consumption. However, Bangladesh's current tobacco tax structure is flawed, making tobacco products relatively cheap and accessible, they said.

This has led to higher rates of tobacco use, particularly among youth and low-income groups, exacerbating the associated health issues and mortality, they added.

The Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard, published in 2024 by the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, paints a bleak picture for Bangladesh.

The scorecard, which evaluates cigarette pricing, affordability changes, tax structure, and tax share of retail price, shows Bangladesh scoring just 1.13 out of 5, a significant drop from the previous score of 2.38.

The nil score in the 'affordability' category has particularly impacted the overall score, underscoring the need for reform.

To improve the situation, experts recommend raising cigarette prices in line with inflation and per capita income, increasing supplementary duty on low-tier cigarettes to 70 percent, and adopting a uniform specific or mixed tax method to replace the current multi-tiered ad-valorem system.

Additionally, they suggested eliminating designated smoking areas in public places and public transport, banning the display of tobacco packs at points of sale, and prohibiting corporate social responsibility programs by tobacco companies.

At the meeting attended by 53 ATMA members, co-conveners Mizan Chowdhury and Hasan Shahriar from PROGGA (ATMA Secretariat) discussed recent activities and future plans for the organization. Notable speakers included Sajjadur Rahman, Deputy Editor of The Business Standard; Salma Yasmin Rita, Senior News Editor at Bangla Vision; Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Bangladesh Lead Policy Advisor for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK); Mortuza Haider Liton, Convener of ATMA; Nadira Kiron, Co-convener of ATMA; and ABM Zubair, Member-Secretary of ATMA.

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