An investigative report by Sushanta Singha has uncovered widespread corruption in Bangladesh’s cigarette industry. Manufacturers and dealers are charging one taka extra per cigarette stick, defrauding consumers of approximately Tk 20 crore or 200 million every day.

Retail cigarette packets are supposed to be sold at government-approved prices. However, vendors report that dealers and manufacturers are selling them above the printed rate. For example:

• A pack of Benson (Tk 270) is sold for Tk 294.

• Gold Leaf (Tk 204) is sold for Tk 221.

• Navy and Star brands (Tk 126) are sold for Tk 135.

• Low-cost cigarettes such as Hollywood, Pilot, Morris, Derby, and Sheikh (Tk 78) are sold at Tk 96.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) reports that nearly 718.6 crore cigarettes were sold in Bangladesh in the last fiscal year. By inflating prices, tobacco companies pocket more than Tk 7,000 crore annually, while the government loses out on an estimated Tk 5,000 crore in tax revenue.

Experts say this overpricing is illegal under government regulations. Consumers are paying extra without any benefit, and the government misses billions in potential revenue. The investigation also highlights a lack of enforcement in monitoring cigarette pricing and protecting consumers.