Young doctors from across Bangladesh have urged Parliament to approve the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 in the upcoming session and to impose effective taxes on all tobacco products in the FY 2026-27 national budget to advance the goal of a tobacco-free Bangladesh.
The call was made on Saturday at a workshop titled "Engaging Young Physician to Advocate for Stronger Tobacco Control Policies (TC Law in 2026 and Tobacco Tax Measures in Fiscal Year 2026-27)", held at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute auditorium. Young doctors from various medical colleges participated.
The workshop opened with a welcome address by Prof Khandoker Abdul Awal Rizvi, President of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh. He highlighted the multidimensional harms of tobacco use and stressed the leadership role young doctors must play in tobacco control, urging swift approval of the ordinance in the upcoming 13th National Parliament.
Keynote speaker Professor Dr Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Research at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, said more than 130,000 people die prematurely each year in Bangladesh due to tobacco-related diseases, citing the Tobacco Atlas. He noted that while the government has finalized the ordinance, its effectiveness depends on prompt parliamentary approval.
As special guest, Professor Dr Syed Akram Hossain, Head of the Oncology Department at Bangladesh Medical University, said tobacco is a leading cause of cancer. He emphasized that effective taxation in the FY 2026-27 budget would raise prices, discourage use-especially among youth-increase government revenue, and reduce healthcare costs.
Certificates were distributed by Professor Fazila-tun-Nessa Malik, Secretary General of the National Heart Foundation Hospital of Bangladesh, who said doctors' trusted status could significantly influence policymakers and called for stronger engagement in the anti-tobacco movement.
Participating young doctors said their advocacy contributed to the ordinance's issuance and stressed that its swift approval, along with effective taxation, would protect future generations from tobacco's harms.
