COP11: Bangladesh unites with world to protect future from tobacco

The eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) has officially begun in Geneva. This landmark global treaty has been pivotal in shaping the trajectory of public health. At this conference, nearly every country in the world has come together to confront one of the gravest public health threats—tobacco use, which claims millions of lives each year.

Before delving into the core discussions, it is essential to understand the significance of WHO FCTC. As the world’s first public health treaty, with 183 Parties, it has quietly but powerfully saved lives for nearly two decades. Bangladesh was among its earliest signatories. Thanks to the treaty, strong pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs, smoke-free public spaces, higher tobacco taxes, and bans on marketing to young people have been implemented worldwide.

Countries that have raised tobacco taxes and enforced indoor smoking bans in line with WHO FCTC recommendations have witnessed dramatic declines in smoking rates. Nations that have imposed strict restrictions on advertising and promotion have protected new generations from addiction. Global smoking prevalence is now declining faster than ever. The evidence is clear implementing the treaty’s measures work.

Yet enforcing these measures is far from easy. Tobacco companies continually adapt their tactics. Today, corporations such as British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International aggressively market e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches as “harmless,” while concealing their true risks of addiction. These are the same companies that misled the world for decades about the dangers of cigarette entities that must have no role in shaping public health policy.

While there is a strong public movement in Bangladesh to strengthen the tobacco control law, tobacco companies are simultaneously influencing the government and arranging meetings with officials. In some cases, the government has even granted approval—contrary to existing regulations—for companies like Philip Morris to establish factories for producing nicotine pouches. This directly undermines Bangladesh’s obligations under the WHO FCTC, which was signed precisely to prevent such industry interference.

Against this backdrop, COP11 seeks to strengthen Parties’ commitments to the treaty. Bangladesh’s participation is especially significant. The conference offers governments an opportunity to reaffirm their dedication to protecting people—particularly young people—from the world’s leading cause of preventable death. It is a chance to reinforce existing policies, close regulatory loopholes, and ensure that future generations grow up free from the influence of the tobacco industry.

For Bangladesh, the stakes could not be higher. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people globally each year, and a substantial share of these deaths occur in our country. According to the Tobacco Atlas, nearly 161,000 people die annually in Bangladesh from tobacco-related diseases—an average of 442 deaths every day. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2017) revealed that 38.4 million Bangladeshis are exposed to secondhand smoke in public transport, restaurants, and public places despite being non-smokers. The National Cancer Registry Survey 2018 further shows that while the government earns 22,000 crore BDT in revenue from the tobacco sector annually, the economic cost of treating tobacco-related illnesses rises to 30,000 crore BDT—27% higher than the revenue collected.

To end this deadly toll and economic burden, Bangladesh urgently needs strong, decisive, and proactive action. The existing Tobacco Control Act 2005 (amended in 2013) has several proposed amendments from the Health Services Division to bring it into greater alignment with the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Key proposals include: eliminating designated smoking zones in public places, a complete ban on the display and advertisement of all tobacco products, protection of youth from the harmful effects of e-cigarettes, banning the sale of single sticks of cigarettes and bidis, prohibiting tobacco companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR), and increasing the size of pictorial health warnings on tobacco product packaging to 90 percent.

This COP11 approaches, the decisions taken in Geneva will influence generations to come. By taking a firm stand in support of WHO FCTC, we can protect our children, save lives, and ensure a healthier future for all.


_(Writer: Professor, Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka)_