Tangail , NOV 11, V7N-: At a discussion meeting held at the Tangail Municipal Auditorium, speakers highlighted that tobacco use leads to approximately 126,000 deaths each year in Bangladesh, most of which are premature. This demonstrates that the losses from tobacco use far outweigh any benefits. There is a need to increase awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco through more extensive public campaigns.

The meeting, organized by the Tangail branch of the National Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Bangladesh (NATAB) on Monday, November 11, was presided over by Khan Mohammad Khaled, President of NATAB’s Tangail branch.

During the meeting, speakers noted that while the government generated nearly 34 billion BDT in revenue from the tobacco sector in the 2022-2024 fiscal years, it incurred around 46 billion BDT in losses due to healthcare expenses and productivity losses.

The meeting’s chief guest was Tangail Municipal Administrator Md. Shihab Rayhan. Also in attendance were Tangail Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr. Muhammad Azizul Haque, Municipal Executive Officer Shahnewaz Parveen, District Education Officer Rebekah Sultana, and Manju Rani Pramanik, Executive Director of the non-governmental organization Sornir.

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