Anti-tobacco groups alarmed over proposed removal of e-cigarette ban provisions

The country’s leading anti-tobacco organisations have expressed deep concern over the government’s move to amend the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, which proposes removing the ban on e-cigarettes and the display of tobacco products at the point of sale.

They said evidence shows that emerging tobacco products such as e-cigarettes are detrimental to public health and often serve as a gateway for young people to nicotine addiction, while displays at the point of sale entice and promote tobacco use and increase uptake among children and adolescents.

The anti-tobacco organisations stated that the removal of these vital provisions would weaken Bangladesh’s tobacco control commitment and leave the door open to aggressive industry exploitation. They added that this would be contradictory to the BNP’s election commitment to strengthen tobacco control measures.

Hossain Zillur Rahman, former caretaker government adviser and prominent economist, said, “We call on the government and Parliament to restore these provisions immediately. Public health and protecting the youth from addiction must come before narrow profit interests.”

Notably, tobacco claims nearly 200,000 lives each year in Bangladesh. The toll on public health and the environment inflicted by tobacco use and production costs the national economy BDT 87,000 crore, which is more than twice the revenue generated by the tobacco sector. Currently, the prevalence of tobacco use among adults (15 years and above) stands at 35.3 percent. Against this backdrop, unless effective tobacco control legislation is implemented, the harms and losses caused by tobacco will continue to escalate.

The tobacco control organisations are the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA), Dhaka Ahsania Mission, DORP, Nari Maitree, National Heart Foundation, PPRC, TABINAJ and PROGGA.