In a significant step toward a tobacco-free Bangladesh, in December the interim government banned the import of electronic cigarettes — marking a major achievement for tobacco control in the South Asian country.
The policy, which went into effect Jan. 1, followed years of advocacy, technical support and strategic campaigns by Vital Strategies, grantees and partners to sensitize the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Commerce about electronic cigarettes.
Vital Strategies grantee Tobacco Control and Research Cell (TCRC) at Dhaka International University has long advocated against the harms of electronic cigarettes, calling on the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Health to ban the products. TCRC’s advocacy efforts have included letters to the ministries and press conferences to amplify evidence, including an October 2024 workshop with lawyers on how to approach electronic cigarette bans. Lawyers attending the workshop expressed opinions on electronic cigarette bans, including activities such as import, export, use, purchase and sale, distribution, marketing, transportation, storage, and supply. After the workshop, the participants determined that an immediate ban was necessary, leading TCRC to send a letter on their behalf to the Ministry of Commerce.
The public’s support for the ban was also evident through collective efforts and advocacy by civil society organizations. On May 10, 2023, a human chain event titled “E-cigarette spread is going to destroy youth society,” organized by several organizations including Vital Strategies grantees and other advocates was held in front of the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University. Speakers called out the tobacco industry’s aggressive marketing of electronic cigarettes to young people, endangering the health of future generations and pushing the country further away from a tobacco-free future.
Global tobacco industry watchdog STOP also supported an investigation in 2022 that revealed how the tobacco industry is spreading the electronic cigarette business in the country and their marketing strategies to attract youth. The STOP investigation report was shared with policymakers and government officials.
In addition to the efforts of civil society organizations, including Vital’s grantees, the Vital Strategies team has held multiple one-to-one meetings with Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Health officials to provide evidence on the harms of electronic nicotine delivery systems. To amplify the messaging, Vital Strategies also conducted a series of social media campaigns and posts about electronic cigarettes in Bangladesh.
“The decision by the interim government to ban the import of electronic cigarettes marks a significant milestone in safeguarding public health in Bangladesh,” said Ashish Pandey, Director, Tobacco Control, South East Asia at Vital Strategies. “This decisive action addresses the growing menace caused by these toxic products particularly at a time when the tobacco industry is aggressively working to popularize and normalize them globally.”
By including electronic nicotine delivery systems such as electronic cigarettes in the prohibited items list of the Ministry of Commerce’s import policy, he added, “Bangladesh has taken a proactive step to protect its population, especially youth, from the dangers of nicotine addiction. We commend the government for its strong commitment to tobacco control and look forward to continued collaboration to create a healthier, tobacco-free future for all.”
To learn more about Vital Strategies’ efforts to strengthen and enforce tobacco control, please visit the Tobacco Control Policy Implementation Hub.