From June 23 to 25, policymakers, public health experts, civil society leaders, and advocates from around the world will gather in Dublin, Ireland for the 2025 World Conference on Tobacco Control.
In the shadow of deepening global public health crises and rising industry interference, this conference is more than just a periodic review—it is a critical moment for governments to reassess commitments, sharpen strategies, and take bold steps forward. For Bangladesh, this is not merely a diplomatic event; it is an urgent call to action to revive our waning momentum and reposition ourselves as a regional leader in tobacco control.
Bangladesh was once held up as a model for South Asia in implementing the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which it ratified in 2004. The enactment of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act in 2005, followed by its amendment in 2013, earned praise from international observers. But time has exposed the cracks in our system. According to the latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) conducted in 2017, 35.3% of adults in Bangladesh still use tobacco, whether in smoked or smokeless form. That’s over a third of our adult population—more than 35 million people. And the burden is not just statistical. Every year, more than 161,000 Bangladeshis lose their lives to tobacco-related diseases. The human and economic costs are staggering.
Yet in spite of the law on paper, enforcement and policy implementation remain dangerously weak. Public places that are meant to be smoke-free routinely reek of cigarette smoke. Restaurants, transport terminals, even hospitals flout the ban with impunity. Tobacco advertising, while restricted, continues unabated through surrogate means—CSR programs, online marketing, and packaging innovations all designed to seduce the young. Smokeless tobacco, such as zarda and gul, is widely consumed by rural women and remains largely outside the purview of serious regulatory attention. Worse still, cessation services in the country are nearly non-existent. There are no widespread quitlines, no institutional counseling programs, and no subsidized access to nicotine replacement therapies. For the average Bangladeshi trying to quit tobacco, there is nowhere to turn.
This is where the MPOWER framework of the WHO becomes relevant—and where our shortcomings are most clearly exposed. The MPOWER package, introduced by the WHO in 2008, provides six evidence-based strategies to reduce tobacco use: Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies; Protecting people from tobacco smoke; Offering help to quit tobacco use; Warning about the dangers of tobacco; Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and Raising taxes on tobacco. Bangladesh, sadly, is lagging behind in almost every category.
Our tobacco surveillance data is outdated and insufficient. The 2017 GATS remains the latest comprehensive dataset, leaving policymakers in the dark about recent trends, especially those affecting women and youth. Without current data, effective targeting of interventions is impossible. Protection from secondhand smoke exists in theory, but the reality on the ground is lawlessness. The absence of institutionalized support for tobacco cessation further limits any genuine effort to help people quit. The pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs, once a regional breakthrough, have now become stale and ineffective. The same images remain in circulation with minimal impact, and plain packaging—now adopted by several countries—is nowhere in sight.
The situation is even more alarming in the realm of tobacco advertising and industry interference. Although Bangladesh has legislation to restrict direct advertisements, indirect and surrogate advertising is rampant. Tobacco companies exploit CSR loopholes, sponsor events under alternative brand names, and target children and youth through clever packaging and digital campaigns. According to the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023, Bangladesh ranks among the worst globally in resisting industry influence. The tobacco industry’s entrenchment in policymaking spaces is a matter of grave concern, and unless decisive action is taken, any ambition of becoming tobacco-free by 2040 will remain a mirage.
Taxation, often considered the single most effective tool in reducing tobacco consumption, has also fallen short in Bangladesh. Our current tax structure is riddled with complexity and inequality. Smokeless tobacco products are taxed at a far lower rate than cigarettes. Bidis, the poor man’s cigarette, remain incredibly cheap and widely available. This not only fuels continued usage but also deepens health inequities. The government must adopt a simplified, unified tax structure that significantly raises the prices of all tobacco products, especially those consumed by the most vulnerable sections of society. According to tobacco control advocates, raising taxes by at least 15% on low-tier cigarettes and 20% on smokeless tobacco products could produce immediate public health gains while boosting revenue.
The Dublin conference comes at a moment when global public health is under pressure. International funding is shrinking, and the tobacco industry is capitalizing on this vacuum to push its products more aggressively—particularly in low- and middle-income countries like ours. Yet, amidst this challenge lies an opportunity. Civil society in Bangladesh is vibrant and committed. Networks such as TABINAJ (Alliance of Women against Tobacco) and research organizations like UBINIG have been actively mobilizing communities, engaging youth, and producing local knowledge on tobacco's devastating impact. Their efforts need stronger government backing, institutional support, and a receptive policy environment.
Other countries have shown what is possible. Uruguay stood up to a legal battle against a multinational tobacco giant and won. Ukraine passed and implemented a comprehensive tobacco control law even during wartime. South America became the first smoke-free continent. Pakistan, in 2023, raised tobacco taxes by up to 154%, leading to a significant drop in consumption and a dramatic increase in tax revenue. If they can do it, why can’t we?
As Bangladeshi delegates prepare to attend the Dublin conference, they must carry more than position papers and talking points. They must carry the weight of public expectation and the burden of unfulfilled promises. They must return not with just photo opportunities but with concrete policy commitments and a renewed national roadmap. This is the time to amend our outdated laws, enforce our existing policies, protect our youth, and dismantle the pervasive grip of the tobacco industry on our institutions.
Dublin can—and must—be a turning point. For Bangladesh, it is a chance to reclaim leadership in the region, to honor its past commitments under the FCTC, and to deliver on the promise of a tobacco-free future. The world will be watching. And so will the people of Bangladesh.
Shima Das Shimu
Director
UBINIG
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