A small focus group study by the Dhaka Ahsania Mission recommended a complete ban on e-cigarettes, although it was found that most participants started using e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking.

The survey was conducted from January to February 2020 and included three focus group discussions with students from two universities: Dhaka University and North-South University. All students were regular e-cigarette users, and most reported preferring open-system e-cigarettes with refill tanks.

The pooled data indicated that “the majority of [[participants] felt that there was insufficient scientific research to show that vaping is harmful.” A total of 65% said they started vaping because of their taste, and many said vaping helped them Quit smoking. Still, the research team recommends a "total ban" on vaping to "[guarantee] the health and safety of youth and future generations".

Earlier this year, anti-tobacco campaigners said Bangladesh needed a sharp turnaround and strong action if it was to achieve its stated goal of being smoke-free by 2040. Bangladesh was the first developing country to sign the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2003. Two years later, in 2005, the government passed the Tobacco Products (Control) Act in 2005, which was revised and amended in 2013.

Planned e-cigarette ban

Sadly, in 2019, a Bangladeshi health official followed in the footsteps of neighboring India by announcing a plan to ban the sale and use of vaping products and other vaping products. The official said at the time that the ban would be incorporated into the new tobacco control policy currently being developed by the government.

Tobacco Free Kids Grant campaign manager Abdus Salam Miah said while existing tobacco control laws were mostly FCTC compliant, there were still some shortcomings. "The law does not mention a ban on emerging tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, which is a new threat to public health, especially for teenagers and young adults," he said.

To make tobacco warnings more effective, specific regulations are needed, Salam added. "As a result, the illustrated warnings did not draw attention to the small packages of bidis and smokeless tobacco products," he added.