Dhaka, May 21 -- State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad on Thursday said that protecting public health and strengthening tobacco control were among the important commitments of the current government's election manifesto.

He said this at a discussion meeting organized by Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) held on Thursday at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, demanding effective taxation and price increases on all tobacco products in the upcoming national budget for FY 2026-27 to protect public health.

He emphasized that alongside tobacco control laws, effective taxation and price increases on tobacco products are equally essential. Referring to the keynote findings, he noted that while prices of es...