, April 9 -- Journalists have called for setting a minimum retail price of Tk 100 for a 10-stick packet of cigarette by merging the low and medium tiers, in order to protect public health and prevent tobacco use among youth. They also proposed imposing a specific tax of BDT 4 per pack across all tiers.

The demands were raised at a workshop titled "Tobacco Tax Increase in the FY 2026-27 Budget: Role of Journalists in Protecting Public Health", organized by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh on Thursday.

The keynote paper was presented by Dr. Shafiun Nahin Shimul of the Health Economics Institute at the University of Dhaka. Distinguished guests included Sheikh Momina Moni, Program Director of the National Tobacco Control Cell and...