In the proposed Bangladesh national budget for fiscal year 2026–27, the government has slightly increased the price of low-tier cigarettes while keeping taxes and prices on bidi, gul, and jarda unchanged. According to a joint statement from research and advocacy group PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA), this minimal adjustment will make tobacco products cheaper in real terms when inflation and income growth are considered. The organizations warned that the proposal, if passed, could increase tobacco use, related illnesses, and deaths, while depriving the government of potential revenue gains.
The statement detailed that the price of a 10-stick pack of low-tier cigarettes would rise by only 2 taka to 62 taka, a 3.33 percent increase compared to a 10.27 percent rise in per capita income. Prices for mid-, high-, and premium-tier cigarettes would also rise modestly. PROGGA and ATMA argued that the lack of tax structure reform would allow tobacco companies to retain higher profits and expand their business, posing a threat to public health.
The groups urged the government to adopt their reform proposal, which they claim could generate an additional 440 billion taka in revenue and prevent about 400,000 premature deaths annually.
স্টাফ রিপোর্টার প্রকাশ : ১১ জুন ২০২৬, ১৭: ২৬ আগামী ২০২৬-২৭ অর্থবছরের প্রস্তাবিত বাজেটে নিম্নস্তরের সিগারেটের দাম খুবই সামান্য বাড়ানো হয়েছে এবং বিড়ি, গুল ও জর্দার দাম ও করহার অপরিবর্তিত রাখা হয়েছে। মূল্যস্ফীতি এবং মাথাপিছু আয় বৃদ্ধি হিসাবে আনলে এসব তা
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