Smokers not only destroy their health but also harm innocent non-smokers around them. For deliberately harming the health of non-smokers, the best measure will be to impose excessively high excise duty on all 'bidi' (local tobacco leaf rolled for smoking) and locally manufactured cigarettes. These should be increased exponentially with a higher excise rate as the price of the brand of 'bidi' or cigarette progressively goes up.
Such a punitive duty should hopefully bring down this addiction. In addition, the import of cigarettes, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, cigarette paper and all such accessories should be discouraged by imposing high import duties on them.
Further, there should be no provision for cigarettes, cigars and any other tobacco related products as free baggage allowance. This should be applicable for all people coming into Bangladesh, including the foreigners. The duties and taxes proposed above should also be applicable for all persons entering Bangladesh in our overall national interest.
S.A.Mansoor
Dhaka.
sam@dhakacom.com
Need for imposing heavy fines for tobacco use
FE Team | Published: June 02, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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