Non-government women's development organization Nari Maitree has called for strengthening the tobacco control law in Bangladesh.

The concerns were raised at a meeting organized by Nari Maitree at Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon.

National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) Coordinator (Additional Secretary) Hossain Ali Khondakar said: “Common people should be informed about the economic losses caused by tobacco. The revenue income is about Tk22,810 crore from tobacco and medical expenditure is about Tk30,570 crore. Cancer Survey-2018 Annual loss due to tobacco is around Tk8,000 crore. So besides removing the misconceptions of people, there is a need to strengthen the tobacco control laws. We all have to be aware of our position against tobacco.”