Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain on Monday said reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh is not possible without effective tobacco control.<\/p>\n
\u201cEffective measures must be taken to reduce tobacco use to protect public health and safeguard the younger generation from nicotine addiction,\u201d he said while addressing a seminar titled \u201cActions to Control Non-Communicable Diseases and Protect Future Generations from the Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Nicotine\u201d as the chief guest.<\/p>\n
Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) organised the programme at the CIRDAP International Conference Centre in the capital.<\/p>\n
Het minister said around 71 percent of all deaths in Bangladesh are caused by NCDs, while tobacco use is one of the major risk factors behind these diseases.<\/p>\n
\u201cTobacco control must be accorded the highest priority in addressing the burden of NCDs in Bangladesh,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sakhawat said the government has allocated the highest-ever budget for the development of the health sector in the current financial year. However, tobacco remains one of the major obstacles to improving public health.<\/p>\n
He said the government is highly aware of the issue and is taking effective measures to strengthen tobacco control.<\/p>\n
The minister said as part of fulfilling the commitment made in the election manifesto, the Tobacco Control Act was further amended and strengthened and passed in 2026.<\/p>\n
He also emphasised the need for more effective, coordinated and timely measures for tobacco control in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).<\/p>\n
Speakers at the seminar said that 37.8 million people in Bangladesh use tobacco products, resulting in approximately 200,000 premature deaths every year from tobacco-related diseases, equivalent to around 546 deaths every day.<\/p>\n
They also stated that the combined health and environmental costs associated with tobacco amount to approximately Tk 87,000 crore.<\/p>\n
Tobacco cultivation is also contributing to deforestation, depletion of soil fertility and increased use of chemical inputs.<\/p>\n
Expressing concern over the exclusion of e-cigarettes from the amended Tobacco Control Act 2026, the speakers said tobacco companies are employing various strategies to expand the market for their products by targeting the younger generation.<\/p>\n
They called for stringent legal measures to ban the production, import, marketing and sale of e-cigarettes and other emerging nicotine products, as well as to prevent their promotion and easy availability. They also demanded the prompt formulation of rules under the amended Tobacco Control Act 2026.<\/p>\n
The seminar was chaired by Prof Dr Golam Rahman, president of Dhaka Ahsania Mission.<\/p>\n
-UNB<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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