Anti-tobacco activists in Rajshahi on Thursday urged the government to raise the supplementary duty of about 70 per cent on all tobacco products including cigarette,
bidi, jarda and gul in the upcoming budget.
They expressed their concern over increasing the trend of smoking in the poorer section and amongst youths.
They made the demand at a human chain organised by Action for Community Development, a non government development organisation working in the north, in the city ahead of ‘Anti-tobacco Day’ today.
Bangladesh is the largest tobacco consuming countries in the world though it was the first country to sign the international treaty named Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, they said.
Some businessmen were trying to convince the government not to impose tax on the tobacco products so that Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act is yet to implement properly, the speakers said.
Lawmaker Zianut Nesa Talukdar, attending the programme as chief guest, said she would raise her voice in the parliament in the upcoming budget session demanding higher tobacco tax.
ACD project coordinator Ehsanul Amin Emon, programme officer Papel, Hosne Ara Parvin Farzana. Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance member SM Atik, among others, spoke at the programme.
-With New Age input
