Dhaka, May 9 -- Young doctors on Saturday demanded an effective increase in tobacco product prices in the upcoming FY2026-27 national budget to discourage tobacco use among young people and protect the country's large youth population from the harmful effects of tobacco.

The demand was raised during a human chain titled "Effective Tobacco Price Increase in the FY2026-27 Budget to Discourage Youth Tobacco Use," organized by National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday (May 9).

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), around 25-28 percent of the country's population belongs to the youth demographic. Speakers at the program said protecting this large segment of the populati...