Bangladesh Tops Asia in Meeting Global Tobacco Control Goals

Photo : Collected

Bangladesh has emerged as the first and only country in Asia to classify cigarette filters as single-use plastic, marking a major step in fulfilling global tobacco control commitments, speakers said at a webinar on Sunday.

The decision aligns with Article 18 of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which focuses on protecting the environment from the harmful impacts of tobacco production and manufacturing. The move was adopted during the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP-10), according to the speakers.

At the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP-11), held in Geneva from November 17 to 22, 2025, the Bangladesh government delegation showcased these achievements and reaffirmed its commitment to amending tobacco control laws and strengthening overall tobacco control measures.

The observations were shared at a webinar titled “Translating WHO FCTC COP Decisions into Action in Bangladesh: A Case Study”, jointly organized by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA).

Participants, including anti-tobacco activists who attended previous COP sessions, shared their experiences and urged coordinated efforts by all stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of COP-11 decisions.

Speakers highlighted that tobacco use remains a major cause of cancer, stroke, cardiovascular and lung diseases, claiming about 130,000 lives each year in Bangladesh. A recent study shows that tobacco-related health and environmental damage costs the national economy around Tk 87,000 crore annually—more than twice the revenue generated by the tobacco sector.

The government has already initiated steps to amend the tobacco control law to better align it with the WHO FCTC. However, speakers warned that delays in finalizing the amendments would further worsen public health outcomes, environmental damage and economic losses.

They called on policymakers to expedite the finalization and adoption of the amended tobacco control law to safeguard public health and strengthen Bangladesh’s leadership in global tobacco control.