Today, a significant research study has revealed widespread violations of the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) by cigarette companies in Bangladesh. However,  In 2022, I first reported on this practice in a story aired on Ekattor Television, produced in collaboration with the Bangladesh Network for Tobacco Tax Policy (BNTTP). That story played a significant role in […]

জুন মাসের প্রথম সপ্তাহের বৃহস্পতিবার সদ্য নির্বাচিত প্রধানমন্ত্রী তারেক রহমান এর নেতৃত্বাধীন বিএনপি সরকার তাদের প্রথম বাজেট উপস্থাপন করতে যাচ্ছে। নির্বাচনে ভূমিধস বিজয়ের পর সরকার দায়িত্ব গ্রহণের সঙ্গে সঙ্গেই যেসব বড় চ্যালেঞ্জের মুখোমুখি হবে, তার মধ্যে অন্যতম রাজস্ব আদায় উল্লেখযোগ্যভাবে বৃদ্ধি করা। বরাবরের মতোই জাতীয় রাজস্ব বোর্ড (এনবিআর) ফেব্রুয়ারি মাস থেকেই ২০২৬-২৭ অর্থবছরের বাজেট প্রণয়নের […]

After overcoming many obstacles, Bangladesh has passed the Tobacco Control Ordinance. To ensure its effective implementation, the Health Adviser has directed that a committee be formed by the next day to draft the necessary implementation rules. At the same time, the Fisheries and Livestock Adviser stated that government secretaries have been strategically placed on the […]

Increasing taxes is the most effective way to control the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products to protect public health. Among tax measures, the most effective is imposing a specific tax, because under an ad valorem tax system, producers can earn excessive profits. In Bangladesh, for many years, cigarette companies have flourished due to […]

জনস্বাস্থ্য রক্ষায় সিগারেটসহ তামাকজাত পণ্যের ব্যবহার নিয়ন্ত্রণের উত্তম পদ্ধতি হলো কর বৃদ্ধি। এর মধ্যে সবচেয়ে কার্যকর হলো স্পেসিফিক ট্যাক্স বা সুনির্দিষ্ট কর আরোপ করা। কারণ, এড ভ্যালোরেম কর ব্যবস্থার মাধ্যমে উৎপাদক কোম্পানি অতিরিক্ত মুনাফা অর্জন করতে পারে। বাংলাদেশেও বহু বছর ধরে এড ভ্যালোরেম সিস্টেমে কর ও মূল্য বৃদ্ধির কারণে সিগারেট কোম্পানিগুলো ফুলে ফেঁপে উঠেছে। এড […]

“Child Labor in Bidi Factories: Current Situation and Way Forward” is my second research study in the field of tobacco control, conducted in 2015. The study explores the prevalence of child labor in bidi manufacturing, examines the socio-economic factors sustaining this practice, and highlights policy and implementation gaps, while proposing practical strategies for prevention and […]

Following the President’s approval, the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 was published in the gazette within six days of its approval. Issued by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of Bangladesh on 30 December 2025, the amended ordinance came into immediate effect on the same day. The ordinance introduces […]

দীর্ঘ এক বছরের বেশি সময় আটকে থাকার পর ধূমপান ও তামাকজাত দ্রব্য নিয়ন্ত্রণ আইনটির সংশোধনী অধ্যাদেশ আকারে অনুমোদন দিয়েছে বাংলাদেশ সরকার। ২৪ ডিসেম্বর ২০২৫ তারিখে প্রধান উপদেষ্টা ড. মুহাম্মদ ইউনূসের সভাপতিত্বে অনুষ্ঠিত উপদেষ্টা পরিষদের বৈঠকে ধূমপান ও তামাকজাত দ্রব্য নিয়ন্ত্রণ অধ্যাদেশ এবং টেলিকমিউনিকেশন অধ্যাদেশ অনুমোদিত হয়। রীতি অনুযায়ী উপদেষ্টা পরিষদের বৈঠকে অনুমোদিত সিদ্ধান্তগুলো গণমাধ্যমকে প্রেস […]

After being stalled for more than a year, the Government of Bangladesh has finally approved the amendment to the Smoking and Tobacco Products Control Act in the form of an ordinance. On 24 December 2025, at a meeting of the Advisory Council chaired by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, both the Smoking and Tobacco Products […]

Nicotine Pouch Included Under the Definition of “Tobacco Products” Sushanta k singha: Dhaka, 24 December 2025: Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of cancer and other non-communicable diseases. Every year, more than 130,000 people in Bangladesh die prematurely due to tobacco-related illnesses. With the objective of effectively controlling smoking and the use of […]

Though the import of e-cigarettes and vapes is banned in Bangladesh, the market for these products is booming, with young people becoming increasingly addicted. Despite the ban, the government has recently granted permission to the multinational cigarette company Philip Morris to produce nicotine pouches.In this context, the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) Bangladesh has raised […]

গত ৩ ডিসেম্বর ২০২৫, সকাল ১১টায় বিএনটিটিপি আয়োজন করে ‘তামাক নিয়ন্ত্রণ আইন শক্তিশালীকরণ ঠেকাতে কোম্পানির প্রোপাগান্ডা ও বাস্তবতা’ শীর্ষক ওয়েবিনার। এতে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অংশগ্রহণ করেন বিশ্ব স্বাস্থ্য সংস্থা বাংলাদেশের  সাবেক ন্যাশনাল প্রফেশনালস ড. সৈয়দ মাহফুজুল হক, ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের ইনস্টিটিউট অফ হেলথ ইকোনমিক্সের পরিচালক অধ্যাপক ড. শাফিউন নাহিন শিমুল, ঢাকা ইন্টারন্যাশনাল ইউনিভার্সিটির সহযোগী অধ্যাপক বজলুর রহমান, এবং […]

On December 3, 2025, at 11:00 AM, BNTTP organized a webinar titled “Tobacco Industry Propaganda and Reality: Preventing the Strengthening of the Tobacco Control Law.” The event featured key participants, including Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Haque, Ex National Professional of the World Health Organization (WHO) Bangladesh; Professor Shafiun Nahin Shimul, Director of the Institute of Health […]

This the historic Appellate division order in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.  In 2016, the Full Bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh delivered a landmark ruling on tobacco control. The ruling was given by a bench of five judges, including then Chief Justice S. K. Sinha. The Court directed government […]

We believe that the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), established by the World Health Organization, serves as the global “bible” for tobacco control. Its core principle is simple but crucial: governments must not engage with tobacco companies in ways that compromise public health, and any unavoidable meetings must be fully transparent. Unfortunately, in Bangladesh, […]

This is very good news for me and for Bangladesh’s tobacco control activists that The Examination, a Washington, DC–based investigative media outlet, has published a report on labor rights violations at BAT Bangladesh. I hope this will serve as an important document not only for Bangladesh but also for global tobacco control efforts. For reference, […]

It is my pleasure to announce that I have successfully completed all six modules of Global Tobacco Control: Learning From the Experts, a unique online course designed by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for the Global Tobacco Control Leadership Program. Last year, I also participated in the South Asia Global Tobacco Control Leadership […]

‘জনস্বাস্থ্য রক্ষায় সিগারেটের দাম যত বেশি হয় তত ভালো অথবা তামাক কোম্পানিগুলো নির্ধারিত মূল্যের চেয়ে বেশি দাম নিলে সমস্যা নেই’। এমন একটি চিন্তা কিছু তামাক নিয়ন্ত্রণকর্মীদের মধ্যে পাওয়া যায়। যারা মনে করেন, দাম বেশি হলে মানুষ কম খাবে। আপাতদৃষ্টিতে বিষয়টি ইতিবাচক মনে হলেও বিষয়টা আসলে বুমেরাং হয়ে ফিরে আসে তামাক নিয়ন্ত্রণের ক্ষেত্রে। কারণ শুধু দাম […]

Abstract: S Kumar Singha,1 R. Huque,2 1Jamuna Television, Special Correspondent, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2University of Dhaka, Department of Economics, Dhaka, Bangladesh. e-mail: sinhasmp@yahoo.com Background and challenges to implementation: Due to influence of British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) and other Tobacco Industries (TI), existing tierbased tax system benefited TI’s and tax evasion became major obstacle on tobacco […]

From Dublin: Speaking at World Conference on Tobacco Control (WCTC) 2025 on global tobacco control, Bangladeshi journalist Sushanta k Singha raised a critical issue facing his country: the widespread use of smokeless tobacco and the lack of dedicated resources to combat it. “In Bangladesh, we have 35 million tobacco users,” Singha stated. “Out of them, […]

Today we had a great discussion with Mr. Guillermo A. Sandoval, Economist at WHO Headquarters, on the weaknesses in Bangladesh’s tobacco tax structure and the steps needed to better protect public health in the future. Together with other tobacco control advocates, we highlighted recent progress on tobacco taxation, addressed challenges of industry interference, and discussed […]

As part of its vision to make Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040, the government has initiated amendments to the Smoking and Tobacco Products Control Act. Over 16,000 people, including more than 150 members of parliament, have expressed support for the draft law, while 1,100 individuals and organizations have opposed it. Investigations revealed that most of the […]

Journalist and public health researcher Sushanta Kumar Singha, special correspondent at Ekattor Television, has been honored with the National Tobacco Control Award-2025 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the second time, recognizing his outstanding contribution to tobacco control. The award was presented by the Health Adviser of Bangladesh during the World No […]

EP35-436-24 Tier-based tax system benefitted tobacco industries in Bangladesh S. Kumar Singha,1 R. Huque,2 1Jamuna Television, Special Correspondent, News, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2University of Dhaka, Department of Economics, Dhaka, Bangladesh. e-mail: sinhasmp@yahoo.com Background and challenges to implementation: Due to influence of British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) and other Tobacco Industries (TI), existing tierbased tax system benefited […]

In order to protect public health in Bangladesh, the National Board of Revenue has taken a groundbreaking decision to increase cigarette taxes and prices in light of the FCTC. The National Board of Revenue has surprised everyone by significantly increasing tobacco taxes and prices. For the second time in the current fiscal year, the Bangladesh […]

ABSTRACT Background: Mass media plays an important role in influencing tobacco control policies. The tobacco industry also uses the mass media to promote their products and undermine tobacco control policies, in particular tobacco tax policies. To understand the tactics of tobacco industry to prevent effective tobacco tax policies through analyzing media reports on tobacco tax […]

Following a report by Ekattor Television, the British American Tobacco (BAT) company allegedly obtained licenses for its factories overnight by claiming them as shops rather than manufacturing units. Investigations suggest that senior officials from the Dhaka Labor Department exerted influence, compelling the Kushtia office to grant these licenses. There are also claims that some officials […]

British American Tobacco (BAT), a multinational cigarette company, has been running a 16-acre factory in the residential Mahakhali DOHS area of Dhaka. The factory was initially established in 1965 when Mahakhali was a rural area. The lease, granted for 30 years and renewed twice, expired in 2024. Despite environmental and public health risks, BAT tried […]

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld a High Court order directing British American Tobacco (BAT) to relocate its cigarette factory from the residential DOHS area in Mahakhali. BAT must move the factory by July 7, 2025. The Mahakhali factory occupies 16 acres on leased land. The Cantonment Board had decided as early […]

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. […]

BAT’s Influence Over Government Officials: BAT has been accused of using political influence to avoid accountability for its illegal operations and violations of labor laws. The company has had multiple government officials, including secretaries and high-ranking bureaucrats, sitting on its board of directors. Secretaries in the Board of Directors: BAT’s board includes influential government figures […]

Description of my first part story: The Factories: British American Tobacco (BAT) has been running multiple tobacco processing factories in Kushtia and other locations like Khaja Nagar, Allah Dargah, Meherpur, Jhenaidah, and Chuadanga without proper government registration or permits. In Kushtia, BAT operates factories that are not officially authorized by the Department of Factory and […]