ZCZC
BSS-01
RALLY-TOBACCO-TAX (with picture)
Heavy taxation on all tobacco products demanded
RANGPUR, June 25, 2019 (BSS)- Anti-tobacco campaigners have demanded cancellation of slab-based taxation and imposing heavy taxation on all tobacco products to discourage consumption and save public health from tobacco catastrophes.
They made the demand at a post-rally discussion organised by Association for Community Development (ACD) with assistance of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids on Public Library ground here on Monday.
Civil Surgeon of Rangpur Dr. Abu Md. Zakirul Islam addressed the function as the chief guest moderated by Advocacy Officer of ACD Pradip Roy.
Former Prof. of Begum Rokeya Government College Prof. Mohammad Shah Alam, Executive Director of Self-help and Advancement Development Organisation Khondker Sarwar Jamil, cultural personality Litan Parvez Munna and Lecturer Ahsan Habib Rabu addressed.
Pradip Roy said some 1.61 people are dying annually from tobacco-attributable diseases in Bangladesh as per the latest survey reports.
He said Bangladesh is one of the countries where the tobacco products are being sold at the cheapest rates encouraging consumption of tobacco products.
“As a result, the nation is loosing huge revenue annually following negligible taxation on tobacco products whereas tobacco companies are earning windfall profits putting adverse impacts on the public heath,” he said.
Sarwar Jamil demanded for imposing the highest rate of taxes on all tobacco products to effectively discourage consumption through raising price of tobacco products.
The chief guest said there are over 7,000 harmful chemical substances in tobacco, smokes of bidi and cigarettes and 70 of those substances are responsible for causing various types of cancers silently leading millions of people toward definite deaths.
Consumption of tobacco products is causing heart ailments, brain stroke, paralysis, lung cancer, lung tuberculosis, asthma, cerebra-vascular, coronary artery, chronic obstructive pulmonary and many other diseases.
“There is not a single benefit of tobacco,” he said and called for raising taxation of tobacco products to the maximum level to reduce consumption for saving public health hazards.
BSS/MI/AU/10:50 hrs