British American Tobacco Bangladesh - Smoking and Tobacco Regulations in Bangladesh Overview

As a company committed to operating responsibly and in compliance with all applicable laws, we fully adhere to Bangladesh’s tobacco control regulations.

The tobacco industry in Bangladesh is primarily regulated by:

• Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act, 2005
• Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Rules, 2015
• Smoking and Tobacco Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2013

Key provisions under the 2013 amendment include:

• Wider definition of tobacco products - Cigarettes, Cigars, Biri, Gul, Jorda, and Khaini are all classified as tobacco products
• Ban on tobacco sales to minors - No tobacco products to anyone under 18 years of age
• Higher fines for public smoking - Authorised officers may issue a fine of Tk. 300 for smoking in a public place, an increase from the previous fine of Tk. 50
• Ban on advertising at POS (Point of Sale) – All tobacco product advertising and promotion at point of sale prohibited
• Pictorial Health Warning - 50% Pictorial Health Warning coverage on both sides of the principal display areas
• Regulation on descriptors – Terms such as ‘Light’, ‘Mild’, ‘Low-Tar’, ‘Extra’, and ‘Ultra’ prohibited
• Wider public place smoking ban - Current list of public places as per 2013 Amended Law:
  • Educational institutions
  • government office
  • Semi-government offices of autonomous bodies and private offices
  • Libraries
  • Elevators
  • Indoor Workplace
  • Hospitals and clinics
  • Court buildings
  • Airport buildings
  • Sea-port buildings
  • River-port buildings
  • Railway station building
  • Bus-terminal buildings
  • Cinema halls
  • Exhibition centers
  • Theatre halls
  • Shopping buildings
  • Restaurants enclosed by four walls
  • Public toilets
  • Children’s parks
  • Fair or queue of any public transport
  • Any other place commonly used by the public
• Restriction on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) branding – Company names, logos, trademarks & symbols cannot be used for # CSR initiative branding.