Dhaka: Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter emphasized that while taxation is an effective tool to curb tobacco consumption, it should not be viewed as the sole strategy. She made these remarks during a seminar on tobacco held at Bishwa Shahithyo Kendra.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Farida Akhter highlighted alarming statistics from recent research, indicating that 35.3 percent of the population in the country uses tobacco. This translates to one in every three individuals being a smoker, a situation she described as both terrifying and worrying.
Addressing the challenges of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.9-which aims for substantial reduction in tobacco use to safeguard public health-Farida stressed the urgency of amending and implementing the Tobacco Control Act by 2030.
The adviser further argued that increasing taxes through the National Board of Revenue could lead to a decline in tobacco users. Despite threats from tobacco companies regarding revenue reductions, she pointed out that several studies suggest a minor decrease in tobacco use could actually result in increased revenue.
The seminar, moderated by Zahid Rahman, Senior Program Coordinator of Development Coordination, saw participation from notable figures such as CTFK-Bangladesh Lead Policy Advisor Md. Mostafizur Rahman, BIDS Research Director Dr. S. M. Zulfikar Ali, and Anti-Discrimination Student Movement spokesperson Umama Fatema.