He spoke to journalists on behalf of Health Minister Zahid Malek at a press briefing at the secretariat.
“Tobacco consumption rate in 2009 was 43.3 percent and came down to 35.3 percent in 2017. The relative reduction rate shows that tobacco consumption has come down by 18.5 percent in eight years,” he said.
“The government has been working sincerely to reduce tobacco consumption,” he said, adding that the World Health Organization said it would be possible to reduce tobacco consumption by 30 percent within 2025.
“I believe, as per the announcement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it will be possible to make Bangladesh tobacco free within 2040,” Habibur said.
Around the globe, each year more than seven million people die due to tobacco consumption and more than 9,00,000 others become victims of indirect smoking, he added.
In Bangladesh, at least 3,82,000 people suffer from cancer, stroke, diabetes, asthma and other diseases each year because of tobacco consumption, he said. “More than 1,61,000 people die.”