Anti-tobacco campaigners have demanded an increase in tax for all types of tobacco products, particularly the retail price for premium-tier cigarettes from Tk 150 per 10 sticks to Tk 170 in the upcoming national budget 2024-25, to discourage smoking.
The government should amend the tobacco control act as soon as possible to reduce premature deaths linked to the consumption of tobacco products, Prof Dr ABM Abdullah, personal physician of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said at a roundtable yesterday.
About 60% to 70% of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer are caused by Hepatitis-B virus, prompting a rise in the number of patients in Bangladesh affected in the two diseases as elsewhere in the world, Hepatology experts told a programme on Tuesday. They also said one in every 12 persons in Bangladesh is affected with Hepatitis-B virus, which constitutes over 5.4% of