PROGGA, April 13 -- tobacco platform, has proposed that all types of smokeless tobacco products be brought under the government's tax net in the upcoming budget for the 2021-22 fiscal.

The organization recommended a good number of suggestions at a webinar Tuesday to reduce the consumption of tobacco products in the country, the aim to realise a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040.

Raising tobacco taxes would encourage nearly 1.1 million adults to abstain from smoking and deter more than 800,000 youth from smoking initiation and save the lives of nearly 390,000 current adults and 400,000 current youth from premature death.

That is all before we even get to the Tk300 billion in tax revenue that it would generate for the government's coffers....