BENDSTA Urges Prime Minister to Review Bangladesh’s 2025 Tobacco Control Ordinance

Key Takeaways

• The Bangladesh Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Traders Association urged the prime minister to begin a comprehensive parliamentary review of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) Ordinance, 2025.
• BENDSTA President Sumon Zaman described the ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems as systemic policy discrimination.
• The association said the matter is now before the High Court and that the court has issued directives regarding Section 6(c) of the ordinance.
• BENDSTA estimated that about 1 million adults in Bangladesh currently use ENDS or vape products.
• The association said an outright ban could push the market underground and put investments, loans, liabilities and jobs at risk.

2Firsts, March 12, 2026

According to The Business Standard, the Bangladesh Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Traders Association (BENDSTA) has urged the prime minister to initiate a comprehensive parliamentary review of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) Ordinance, 2025.

Speaking at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium, BENDSTA President Sumon Zaman characterised the ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or vape products, as systemic policy discrimination.

BENDSTA noted that the matter is currently before the High Court. The association claimed the court has issued directives declaring Section 6(c) of the ordinance unconstitutional and ordered that legally imported vape products not be confiscated.

BENDSTA argued that most countries regulate electronic nicotine products through structured frameworks and called on Bangladesh to implement a realistic, evidence-based regulatory approach.

Other speakers included BENDSTA Vice President Anis Khan, General Secretary Rezwan Ahmed, and Assistant General Secretary Toufiq Ahmed.

The association estimates approximately 1 million adults in Bangladesh currently use ENDS or vape products, often as harm-reduction tools or smoking cessation aids. BENDSTA warned that an outright ban would drive the market underground, leading to the proliferation of substandard products, unregulated access for minors, and increased public health risks.

BENDSTA further highlighted the sector's economic significance, noting that more than 100 business entities and over 600 chain stores operate under the association, supporting the livelihoods of thousands of middle-class families. The association cautioned that investments, bank loans, business liabilities and jobs are now at risk.

BENDSTA referenced the prime minister's 31-point state structural reform action plan—specifically point 26, which commits to a health policy model inspired by the United Kingdom's NHS—and argued that, in this context, a regulated framework for ENDS would be more practical and effective than a blanket ban.

Image Source：The Business Standard