In a significant move to protect public health, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed amendments to the tobacco control law, with the draft amendment now awaiting approval from the Cabinet Division.
Despite the ministry’s health-centric approach, British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) have expressed strong opposition, said a press release.
Both companies have lodged written objections with advisors to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Law, presenting claims—alleged by critics to be unfounded—suggesting that the amendment could diminish government revenue.
However, data from the National Board of Revenue contradicts these assertions, indicating that tobacco-related revenue surged by 17.97% and 37.52% in the fiscal years 2005-06 and 2006-07 following the enactment of the Tobacco Control Act in 2005. Similarly, after the 2013 amendment, revenue increased by 25.51% and 46.52% in the subsequent fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15.
ABM Zubair, Executive Director of Progga (Knowledge for Progress), an anti-tobacco research and advocacy group, stated, “The Health Ministry’s initiative to strengthen the existing tobacco control law aims to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke and shield young people from the harmful effects of tobacco. The draft amendment must therefore be passed without delay, despite the tobacco companies’ coercive tactics.”
It is estimated that tobacco use claims 161,000 lives annually in Bangladesh. Among individuals aged 15 and above, the tobacco usage rate currently stands at 35.3%. In the fiscal year 2017-18, the economic burden from tobacco usage amounted to Tk30,560 crore, far exceeding the Tk22,810 crore in revenue contributed by the tobacco industry within the same period.
