India, Jan. 14 -- The illegal cigarette trade is thriving across Bangladesh, from roadside tea stalls to roaming vendors. These cigarettes are also increasingly available online, with home delivery options attracting a growing number of buyers. Online sales of illegal cigarettes have continued to rise steadily.

However, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) says it is unable to shut down websites involved in selling illegal cigarettes online.

Officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) estimate that the government is losing at least Tk10,000 crore in revenue due to the illicit cigarette trade, though the actual losses could be even higher. The illegal tobacco market in Bangladesh is no longer limited to smal...