In the past year, tobacco cultivation in Bangladesh has increased by 50,000 acres, reaching 142,000 acres in 2024, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Analysts attribute this growth to the removal of a 25% export duty on tobacco leaves, which has encouraged multinational cigarette companies to expand cultivation—a key focus of investigative reporter Sushanta Singha.

In 2023, tobacco was grown on 93,000 acres. The government’s duty exemption allowed companies to sign contracts with farmers and rapidly increase farmed areas. Bangladesh’s tobacco leaves are among the cheapest globally, priced at $1.68 per kg, compared to India ($2.44), Pakistan ($2.39), China ($2.70), and Brazil ($3.50), giving exporters substantial profit margins.

Experts warn that this surge in tobacco farming comes at the expense of rice, vegetables, and other essential food crops, harming soil fertility and the environment. Although legal and public health frameworks call for limiting tobacco cultivation, the government recently granted new permissions to two cigarette companies, with Philip Morris seeking approval as well.

Tobacco cultivation is concentrated in Bangladesh’s poorest districts, including Kushtia, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, and Bandarban, where arable land is already shrinking by 1% annually due to urban expansion and other non-agricultural uses.