Call to designate smoking zone in parliament

Awami League MP Saber Hossain Chowdhury has sought the speaker’s intervention to declare the parliament building a smoking-free zone.

Speaking on the proposed budget in parliament on Sunday, he also demanded imposition of higher taxes on cigarette and ‘bidi’.

Chowdhury urged the speaker to designate an exclusive smoking zone in parliament building.

He suggested imposition of Tk 63 tax on every 10-stick pack of cigarette and at least Tk 6 on a 25-stick pack of bidi, scrapping the system of determining taxes based on price slabs.

Chowdhury said: “Multinational tobacco companies are being given chances to make profits. Their ominous influence is being evident in our decision-making.”

He alleged that multinational companies were circulating ‘misguiding information’.

The MP believes imposition of higher taxes will help reduce rate of death, tobacco-related diseases and medical expenditure, and increase government revenue.

He claimed 81 percent of the people supported imposition of high taxes on tobacco.

Referring to information published by the World Health Organisation, he said cigarettes were cheaper in Bangladesh than Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia, the Maldives and Myanmar.

Chowdhury also suggested an increase in taxes on polybag to encourage use of jute bags.