Public Health on Top

With support from Philip Morris International (PMI) funded Foundation for a Smoke-free World (FSFW), Bangladesh Blind Mission (BBM) has been implementing a project on so-called harm reduction of smoking. The organization has, very recently, taken the initiative to arrange a workshop on tobacco cessation in association with the Non-Communicable Diseases Control (NCDC) of the Directorate General of Health Services. However, the event was cancelled following protests from anti-tobacco organizations and a letter from the National Tobacco Control Cell (NCTC) of the Health Ministry. This has been an important accomplishment for tobacco control in Bangladesh and the two associated govt. bodies deserve thanks for taking timely action.
During a pre-budget meeting organized by the National Board of Revenue (NBR), British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) raised the demand for not increasing the prices of cigarettes in the 2023-24 national budget. Bangladesh Bidi Factory Owners' Association has also raised the demand for reducing taxes on bidi during the same event. Besides, Locally Owned Cigarette Manufacturers’ Association has  organized a press conference demanding that the low tier cigarettes be reserved for domestic companies, while Tobacco Farmers Welfare Association has been holding human chains at different parts of the country with same demand. Very recently, Khulna Bidi Workers' Rights Action Council has organized a human chain protesting the recent tobacco tax-related proposals raised by Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) during a pre-budget meeting with NBR. In addition, different bidi workers' organizations have been holding human chains nationwide.
It should be noted that as per the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its loan package, Bangladesh needs to raise an additional BDT 65,000 crore in revenue in FY 2023-24. Anti-tobacco activists claim that such requirements can be met by hiking the prices of tobacco products. This would also help the government tackle the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. Notably, the implementation of the tax and pricing proposals of anti-tobacco activists would raise BDT 9,600 crores in additional revenues in FY 2023-24 and prevent the premature deaths of 4.88 lakh adults and 4.92 lakh youths.
In such a scenario, NBR must not get derailed by the ill tactics of tobacco companies and prioritize the Prime Minister's vision of a tobacco-free Bangladesh. We must keep in mind that materializing such ambition is not possible while keeping tobacco companies profitable.