Development Organisation of the Rural Poor- DORP has urged the government to abandon its decision to take the opinion of tobacco companies in the amendment of the Tobacco Control Law. Instead, they called for the immediate passage of the proposed amendment and for ensuring that Bangladesh does not violate Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
This call was made at a press conference titled “Strengthening the Tobacco Control Law and Expectations from the Government for Implementing WHO FCTC and Complying with Article 5.3”, held on Tuesday (26 August 2025) at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
Presenting the keynote paper, Dr. Abu Muhammad Zakir Hossain, President of the Community Clinic Health Support Trust, said that every year tobacco-related diseases kill 161,000 people in Bangladesh and leave millions more ill. Yet tobacco companies, in pursuit of profit, are spreading misinformation by claiming that the government will lose massive revenue if the draft amendment of the Tobacco Control Law is passed. “The reality is completely different,” he said. “Since the enactment of the Tobacco Control Law in 2005 and its amendment in 2013, government revenue from tobacco has increased 12.5 times over the past 18 years. At the same time, tobacco use declined by 18 percent between 2009 and 2017. This clearly proves that a reduction in tobacco consumption does not negatively impact government revenue.”
In his address as Chief Guest, Professor Dr. Golam Mohiuddin Faruq, President of the Bangladesh Cancer Society, said that the Advisory Committee formed to review the draft of the Smoking and Tobacco Products (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024 had recently stated that it was necessary to consider the opinions of all stakeholders (including tobacco companies) in amending the law. “This is a direct violation of WHO FCTC Article 5.3,” he said. “Bangladesh is a signatory to the WHO FCTC, and Article 5.3 explicitly requires keeping the tobacco industry completely away from the law-making process. We strongly urge the government to cancel this decision to involve tobacco companies and to pass the draft amendment of the Tobacco Control Law without delay.”
Speaking at the event, Iqbal Masud, Director of Health and WASH at Dhaka Ahsania Mission, emphasized that the proposed provisions included in the draft amendment must be passed quickly. These include abolishing Designated Smoking Areas (DSA), banning point-of-sale displays, taking measures to protect children and youth from the harmful effects of e-cigarettes, banning tobacco company CSR activities, and prohibiting retail sales of single sticks.
In the closing address, AHM Noman, Founder and Chief Executive of DORP, said that the Health Adviser himself has stated that under WHO FCTC Article 5.3, the government cannot sit for discussions with tobacco companies. “Therefore,” he said, “we call on the Advisory Committee formed for amending the Tobacco Control Law to immediately cancel its decision to hold meetings with tobacco companies regarding the amendment process.”
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