A delegation of Bangladesh Anti Tobacco Alliance requested to impose higher taxes on harmful tobacco products. They also request to abolish the existing slab system of tobacco products and adopt a strong tobacco tax policy to protect public health. In a scheduled meeting set with Barrister Jahangir Hossain (VAT Imp.& IT), Member of National Board of Revenue at NBR office on 4^th April 2016, BATA members appealed for this.

In the written form, abolishment of various levels of tobacco tax, imposing 2% surcharge on tobacco products, adjustment of specific amount of excise tax (specific) on tobacco products every year to increase actual price, ensuring official participation of anti-tobacco organizations in the process of taxation and relevant budgeting of tobacco products, declare banning of single stick bidi and cigarette sale, strengthening coordination of Tobacco Tax Cell of NBR with NTCC to make it more effective and dynamic, ensuring transparency and accountability of Revenue collection authority, Tobacco product manufacturing company and relevant others as per article 5.3, ban on duty-free sales of tobacco products, imposing higher rate of export tariffs on tobacco leaf and tobacco products, initiate to conduct a nationwide census ensuring inclusion of commercial and home-produced tobacco products has been prompted on behalf of alliance.

The delegation said, recently at South Asian Speaker's Summit on SDG, the honorable Prime Minister has expressed commitment to eradicate tobacco use completely from Bangladesh by 2040. It is very necessary to impose higher tax to achieve the above-mentioned goal and to protect public health.

In the view exchange meeting, Faizur Rahman, First Secretary (VAT Policy); Shamsul Islam, First Secretary (VAT Implementation); Abdur Rashid Mia, Second Secretary (VAT Implementation) was present on behalf of NBR. In the delegation of Bangladesh Anti Tobacco Alliance, also present acting Coordinator of BATA and General Secretary of Prottyasha Anti Drug Club Helal Ahmed; President of Manobik and BATA member Rafiqul Islam Milon; Technical Advisor of The Union Syed Mahbubul Alam; Executive Director of AID Foundation Aminul Islam Bokul; Program Manager of WBB Trust Syeda Anonna Rahman.