Dhaka, June 19 -- As the proposed budget for FY 2025-26 has kept the prices of and tax rates on all types of tobacco products unchanged, it will, once finalised and adopted, lead to an increase in the prevalence of tobacco use and subsequently, tobacco-related deaths and significantly reduce the government's revenue earning from the tobacco sector.

Since the proposed budget has also missed the opportunity to merge the low and medium tiers of cigarettes, it will continue to allow consumers to switch to cheaper cigarette brands and avoid quitting the bad habit altogether, a media statement read on Thursday.

The rest of the media statement is as follows:

However, the government can earn additional revenue, up to Tk 20,000 from the cigaret...