Dhaka, June 24 -- Members of the Women MPs' Forum Against Tobacco on Tuesday called for a more effective review of the tax and pricing measures for low-tier cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products in the proposed national budget for FY 2026-27.

They expressed this view during a post-budget discussion held at the Parliament LD Hall.

The meeting was informed that public health and tobacco control experts had proposed simplifying the cigarette tax structure by reducing the existing four-tier cigarette market to three tiers and increasing prices accordingly. Since the prices of low-tier and medium-tier cigarettes are very close, consumers can easily switch to a slightly cheaper brand when prices rise in one tier.

To address this issue, e...