Bangladesh strengthens tobacco control through landmark legislative reform

The Government of Bangladesh has taken a significant step forward to protect public health with the approval of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, a landmark reform that strengthens tobacco control measures and advances the country’s vision of a tobacco-free Bangladesh. 

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death globally and continues to pose a major public health burden in Bangladesh. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey Bangladesh (GATS) 20171, more than one-third of adults (35.3%, approximately 37.8 million people) used tobacco. This includes 18.0% who smoked tobacco and 20.6% who used smokeless tobacco. Tobacco use is also evident among adolescents, as reported in the Global Youth Tobacco Survey Bangladesh (GYTS) 20132, with 6.9% of students aged 13–15 years that used tobacco.  

In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated 130 thousand deaths in Bangladesh, accounting for 21.9% of all deaths. Most of these deaths were due to smoking (79.9%) and second-hand smoke exposure (20.9%)3. Beyond its health impacts, tobacco use significantly undermines Bangladesh’s economy, costing an estimated BDT 305.6 billion in health care and lost productivity in 20184 alone.

These figures highlight the urgent need for strengthened policy measures to reduce tobacco-related illness, disability, and premature death.

WHO support for strengthened tobacco control legislation and implementation

WHO has worked closely with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) and the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) over recent years to support efforts to reduce tobacco use. This collaboration culminated in the adoption of the amended ordinance, which introduces unprecedented, stronger and more comprehensive tobacco control measures. 

WHO support included technical inputs based on global best practices, facilitation of stakeholder consultations, and guidance on adapting international standards to the national context, ensuring that the strengthened legislation meets international public health norms. As a result, the amended ordinance is aligned with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the MPOWER package of evidence-based tobacco control measures, which support countries to Monitor tobacco use, Protect people from tobacco smoke, Offer help to quit , Warn about the dangers of tobacco, Enforce bans on advertising, and Raise taxes on tobacco products. 

The key measures introduced in the amended ordinance include:  

• a ban on all emerging tobacco and nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products;
• enhanced graphic health warnings increased from 50% to 75% with standardized packaging;
• a prohibition on tobacco industry corporate social responsibility activities;
• ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
• ban of designated smoking areas
• expansion of smoke-free public places to cover all indoor spaces and all forms of tobacco (including smokeless tobacco),
• prohibition of the sale and use of tobacco products within 100 meters of schools, hospitals, clinics and playgrounds
• strengthens penalties and enforcement provisions. 

Following the approval of the ordinance on 30 December 2025, a national stakeholder consultation was held on 27 January 2026, organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) with technical assistance from WHO, to mobilize coordinated multisector efforts towards effective implementation of the amended ordinance and its translation into action. 

The meeting was presided over by the Secretary of the Health Services Division and attended by high-level government officials and key stakeholders from across sectors, with Ms Nurjahan Begum, Honorable Adviser to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as Chief Guest, and Ms Farida Akhter, Honorable Adviser to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, as Special Guest. 
Participants included representatives from relevant ministries and agencies, civil society organizations, Bloomberg Initiative partners and grantees, non-governmental organizations, development partners, and tobacco control advocates. During the consultation, several recommendations were brought forward, such as enforcing the 100-meter tobacco-free zone around educational institutions and ensuring that the Secretariat and government health facilities are fully smoke-free. The Secretary of the Health Services Division also noted that the recent joint declaration signed by 35 ministries and agencies on NCD prevention institutionalizes shared, multisectoral responsibility for NCD prevention, thereby providing an effective tool to support implementation of the new tobacco control ordinance. 

This legislative achievement demonstrates how evidence-informed policymaking, strategic stakeholder engagement, and WHO’s technical guidance can translate into effective public health action.  
If effectively implemented, the ordinance will accelerate progress toward national and global tobacco control targets, improve health and wellbeing, and save lives. It will significantly reduce tobacco-related disease and premature deaths, protect children and youth from nicotine addiction, and generate long-term health and economic gains for Bangladesh. By strengthening its tobacco control framework, Bangladesh has reinforced its commitment to a tobacco-free future, contributing to improved population health and sustainable development.  

For more information about this publication, please get in touch with Roberta Tosques, Strategic Communication and Advocacy Officer, WHO Bangladesh, at tosquesr@who.int

(1) Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), National Tobacco Control Cell, Health Services Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; RTI International; World Health Organization (WHO). Bangladesh Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2017: Final Report. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; 2018. Available from: https://drupal.gtssacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GATS-Report-Final-2017.pdf (Accessed 02/02/2026) 

(2) World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia. Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), Bangladesh Report 2013. New Delhi: WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia; 2015. ISBN: 978-92-9022-481-5. Available from: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/164335/9789290224815-GYTS-T… (Accessed 02/02/2026). 

(3) Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Bangladesh profile. Seattle, WA: IHME, University of Washington, 2024. Available from: https://www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/health-by-location/profiles/bangladesh (Accessed 02/02/2026)  

(4) Faruque GM, Ahmed M, Huq I, Perven R, Wadood SN. The economic cost of tobacco use in Bangladesh: a health cost approach. Technical report. 2020. Available from: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33392.28169/1