Public Health on Top

Following sustained advocacy by anti-tobacco organizations, the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use Control (Amendment) Bill 2026 was unanimously passed in the National Parliament on Friday, April 10, 2026. This marks a milestone in the history of tobacco control in Bangladesh. The government deserves applause, as the newly passed law contains several key provisions that make it both strong and timely, such as the elimination of designated smoking areas (DSAs) and a ban on tobacco advertising across digital platforms.
However, what is concerning is that, due to intense interference from the tobacco industry, policymakers backed away from the proposed ban on e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and other emerging tobacco products (ETPs), and removed this provision from the finalized law. As a result, these products, which pose a serious threat to public health, remain unregulated in the country. It should be noted that a number of countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, have already banned e-cigarettes and vaping.
We hope the Bangladesh government will also take proper and timely measures regarding these harmful products to protect public health.