Dhaka, June 9 -- Doctors and public health experts on Tuesday urged the government to significantly raise tobacco taxes and retail prices in the national budget for FY2026-27, warning that tobacco use remains one of the leading risk factors behind Bangladesh's growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which account for nearly 71 percent of all deaths nationwide.

They said the low prices and easy availability of tobacco products continue to attract new users, particularly among young people, undermining public health efforts and placing an increasing strain on the country's healthcare system.

The call was made at a seminar titled "Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Reducing the Risk of Non-Communicable Diseases", held at th...