Dhaka, Nov. 23 -- Experts on Saturday said Bangladesh's tobacco tax system is failing to curb consumption not because taxes are low on paper, but because enforcement gaps, market distortions and an outdated multi-tiered structure continue to undermine policy effectiveness.

Speaking at a national dialogue titled "Reimagining an Effective Tobacco Tax System in Bangladesh", organised by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) in the capital, speakers argued that the country's tobacco-control efforts are being weakened by under-declared production, an expanding informal market and the absence of a modern track-and-trace mechanism.

Despite officially high tax incidence, they said cigarettes remain easily affordable, allowing consu...